


Panic at the Starstone

by ArdenFinder



Category: Starfinder (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 04:25:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 108,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19099690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArdenFinder/pseuds/ArdenFinder
Summary: Arden Finder, independent journalist and corporate spy, finds himself hurtling towards his own death, and not just because his ship's about to crash into Absalom Station. When the Starstone, ancient relic and modern-day power source, is threatened by evil forces, Arden learns that being a hero requires more than a clever headline. Teaming up with a motley assortment of "friends", Arden's on a mission to save the station and gain a few more followers for his blog.





	1. Attack on Absalom Station

There should have been an alarm. Preferably several. Arden Finder had never been inside a crashing starship before, but he was quite sure that alarms were supposed to be part of the experience. He felt cheated - without the alarms to distract him, all he had were his own thoughts, and none of them were especially optimistic about their chances.

“Have you ever been in a crash before?” he asked his companion. It was a stupid question and he knew it, but it filled the silence for a moment.

Karadite arched an eyebrow at him. “No,” was all she said.

The background hum of the ship’s systems had left behind a yawning stillness. He and Karadite were both weightless, awkwardly trying to hold their positions despite a constant feeling of free-fall. Power and gravity had gone out at the same time, immediately after a bright flash had emanated from the space station they were approaching. Judging by the speed it was growing in the forward viewport, Arden figured they had maybe five minutes until impact. Probably less.

Arden checked his personal comm. It had been hardened against most environmental effects - a necessary precaution in his line of work. He was relieved to see that it was still functional.  _ That’s something gone right, at least _ , he thought to himself. 

He keyed the station's emergency line.

“Where are you?” a dispatcher’s voice demanded.

“Our ship has lost power and is headed toward-”

She cut him off before he could finish, “We can’t catch any of you. Brace for impact immediately!”

A tone informed Arden that the call had ended. He swallowed hard. Given the damage their own ship had sustained, maybe he shouldn’t have expected the station’s grav nets to be functioning, but he’d always believed they were fail-proof.

Karadite stared at his comm, frowning. “That did not sound encouraging.” Arden thought he could detect a hint of fear behind her placid demeanor. And if he was wrong, well, he had enough fear for both of them.

Things looked bad. Arden paused, considering. If they were about to die, maybe he could at least get their data to AbadarCorp. It wasn’t a trade he would’ve made willingly, but if their lives could count for that much, it would be something.

He switched his communicator to an encrypted mode and went through the process of establishing a secure upload channel with AbadarCorp HQ. Broadcasting wirelessly, even on an encrypted line, there was a risk that they’d tip off the targets of their undercover work on Apostae, but better that than for the information to be lost for good. It would take at least a couple of minutes to send it all, even at ultra-high frequency. With the station now taking up the entire forward viewport, he wasn’t sure he had that much time.

After a few seconds, the link status indicator remained a stubborn red color. No signal.

Arden turned to his companion. “Karadite, can you establish a communication relay to AbadarCorp?” As the computers expert, Arden hoped she’d have better luck.

She checked her own communicator. “The problem is not us,” she said. “AbadarCorp’s receiver station is offline.”

_ Damn it! _ Arden thought to himself.  This was more than frustrating. Arden could have faced his death with some measure of acceptance if only he could’ve brought Black Star League down with him. How many people had they corrupted or killed? Surely more than the handful they could now prove, but that handful were enough. The whole point in taking a ship rather than broadcasting that data to begin with was that they didn’t know if they could avoid Black Star’s sophisticated surveillance. But now their ship had become a single point of failure in that plan. Of course he’d considered that fact, but the risk had seemed so small they’d taken it anyway, just to maintain the element of surprise. At this point, AbadarCorp knew he had “something,” but that wasn’t enough to act on.

Environmental systems were down, along with everything else. The air wouldn’t run out before the crash, so it wasn’t his most immediate problem, but he was already beginning to feel a little light-headed. He tried to slow his breathing, but his panic instincts had other ideas. He forced himself to focus and let his training take over. He could do this, he just had to calm down.

His breathing slowed. With an effort of will, he pushed the fear aside and let the rational part of his mind take over. He reflected on their situation objectively.

They’d been heading for a docking bay in the lower portion of The Ring. If they were even slightly off that line, they’d hit the side of the station at high speed and that’d be the end of it. But if their course was still true, they’d cross the energy barrier (assuming it was intact) and crash somewhere within. If the bay was still pressurized, then a crash inside it  _ might _ be survivable.

They were running out of time. Arden floated over to a row of emergency harnesses built into one of the walls. Each one consisted of a mesh canvas to hold a person in place, with straps to tighten it to any size form, and kinetic-resistant foam that wrapped itself around the occupant once in place. Whatever instructions there might have been were illegible in the dim cabin.

Arden did his best to figure out his harness. Beside him, Karadite did the same. The lack of gravity made the already unfamiliar process more difficult, but they managed it. The harnesses had been designed to be intuitive.

“Your harness is too loose,” Karadite said.

“What? How can you tell?”

“You’re breathing normally.”

Arden sucked in his chest and tightened the straps some more.  _ Easy for her to call me out for breathing _ , he thought with a tinge of annoyance.  _ Not like  _ she  _ has to do it to stay alive _ .

The hard foam cushions inflated around him in an almost suffocating embrace. He definitely wasn't breathing normally anymore.

They spent the next few seconds in a tense silence. Time itself seemed to slow down. They’d thrown the dice and were about to learn whether or not their luck had run out.

In the viewport, Arden saw their ship breach the threshold into the hangar bay. He realized it still had atmosphere when they abruptly nosed up, the wings of their ship creating lift against the air zooming past them. The last thing he saw in the viewport was the hangar’s ceiling as their ship slammed into it nose-first.

The scene instantly transformed into a chaotic mess of noise, sensation, and pain. Arden felt as if his world was trying to shake him out of it. Shards of armor plating, designed to withstand the strongest blaster bolts, peeled off like onion skin around them. Had they been standing just half a meter to the right, they’d have been decapitated by a chunk of metal that impaled their cabin wall faster than Arden's human eyes could register.

Objects detached from the ship and turned into missiles. Tied down as they were, Arden and Karadite couldn't so much as cover their faces as the destruction continued whirling around them.

The harnesses provided as much protection as their engineers could build into them, but they were still trapped in what was essentially a giant steel can, alternately bouncing, spinning and tumbling, careening off other ships, docking equipment, and fuel tanks, and finally slowing down from 140 m/s to 0 in the space of just 6.3 awful seconds. 

With a final painful jolt, their ship came to rest. The floor plating was broken in places, the wall had been pierced by shards of something they had crashed into, and the area was now strewn with a mix of broken equipment and their few possessions.

Arden and Karadite looked around in shared bewilderment. They gingerly released their restraints, then each took a moment to examine their own injuries. They were both sore. Karadite’s nose was bleeding, and Arden thought he might have a concussion, but their harnesses had held them fast. Miraculously, despite the carnage around them, they’d both come through it relatively unscathed.

Karadite pointed at a small cabinet on the wall that had been crushed in the wreck. “I believe that’s where the re-breathers were kept.”

Arden looked at it sadly. “Maybe I won’t need one?” Even as he said it, he knew it was a lie. He could already smell the toxic smoke beginning to build up in the ship's remains. They needed to get out, fast.

Arden tried to reach their pilot, Captain Vanek, but discovered that her cockpit had literally broken off in the crash and was no longer connected to the rest of the ship. He reached out with his mind, attempting to sense any other sentient beings nearby. He could detect other minds, frightened and confused amidst the maelstrom, but hers wasn't one of them.

The rear gangway hatch was destroyed and crumpled like so much tissue paper, but a hole had opened in one of the sides where a wing had been shorn off. They carefully squeezed between the jagged metal edges and clambered out into the station.

With a start, Arden spied the cockpit a few meters behind their ship, impaled on the end of a giant piece of scaffolding. He realized why he hadn't felt their pilot’s mind. The burly ysoki woman had passed on to whatever fate awaited her. He hoped she was at peace.

The air was hot and smoky, but breathable - barely. All around them was a scene right out of the lower planes.

Arden had seen disaster before, but not like this; not up close and not as it was unfolding. The screams of the dying joined with the screams of the rescuers, as the blaring of the emergency sirens and the din of the physical destruction around them added its own chorus. Pieces of debris, maybe from their own ship, rained down around them, adding to the chaos.

And over all the commotion, there was fire.

With everything else going on, Arden nearly dismissed the fire, but something caught his attention about it. As he looked closer, he saw figures outlined in orange light moving within it. He’d never seen them before, but there could be no mistaking what they were: fire elementals.

Arden realized that theirs were the minds he’d detected while looking for their pilot. They were causing new fires anywhere they stood, but to Arden, it didn’t seem like they were trying to hurt anything. Rather than run about spreading their own destruction, they appeared to be deliberately clustering together and trying to stay out of the way as best they could. Unfortunately, with so much flammable material scattered about, there wasn’t really anywhere safe for them to be. He remembered the fear he'd felt coming from them. It mirrored his own. 

After a few moments standing around, searching for a safe path through the debris, they spotted a figure carefully making its way toward them - a human in a dock worker’s uniform.

He was short for his race, with dark gray hair, a thick coating of ash caught in it. His shirt was filthy and torn at the collar, and he had a gash in his right cheek, but if it caused him any pain, he didn't show it. Over his nose and mouth he wore a self-contained breathing unit, the device rapidly converting his exhaled breath back into breathable O2. He reached them a few moments later.

“Thank the gods,” Arden called out over the noise. “Can you show us how to get out of here?”

The man nodded while catching his breath. Arden read his nametag, which introduced him as Harry. “Are you injured?” Harry asked, his voice weirdly distorted by the re-breather. “Can you get out of here under your own power?”

“We are not seriously hurt,” Karadite said. “Our pilot was most likely killed in the crash, however.”

“She was,” Arden confirmed. “I tried to detect her mind, but she was already gone.”

Harry glanced in the direction of the wreckage with a sad look, then resumed speaking. “You two need to get out of here. Follow me and I’ll get you to safety.” He was already turning to start back.

“Wait!” Arden shouted. “Look there in the fire. See those darker orange figures?”

“I don’t know what you…” he trailed off. “What in the Abyss?”

“They appear to be fire elementals,” Karadite said. “Their heat will soon melt through the deck plating and further compromise the station’s integrity, if they aren’t killed and extinguished first.”

“What? No!” Arden cried. “We can’t just kill them!”

“Why?” Karadite asked. “This isn’t their plane. They should be weak here. If we simply lower the energy barrier and flush them into space, it’s unlikely we would even need to do battle.” After a quick pause she appended, “You should probably leave the hangar before that happens though.”

“Appreciate your concern,” he muttered sarcastically.

“You are paying me.”

“Just hold on a minute, Ms Kill-them-all."

“Karadite,” she corrected.

“Listen to me Harry,” Arden said. “They’re victims here too. I’m an empath, and I can tell. I don’t think they even know how they got here, but they’re not trying to hurt us. They're scared. Is there maybe someplace safe they can stay until we determine what to do with them?”

Harry stopped and thought for a moment. “They wouldn’t cause any trouble in the rocket room. It’s not that far.”

“What’s the rocket room?”

“It’s where we test engines that we build or repair. In the ancient days, long before The Gap, those engines were rockets, so the name stuck. How do you plan to get them over there though? Your android here is right. As hot as they are, staying in one place like that could do real damage.”

“I am not his android. He is paying me.” Karadite really didn’t like being referred to as property.

“Okay,” Arden cut in quickly. “Give me a moment while I try to reach them.” He closed his eyes and began sending at them, trying to reach the most intelligent mind among their number that he could find.

His efforts met with partial success. After a few attempts, they turned in his direction and seemed to be watching him, but didn't seem to understand anything he sent. Even the meaning of his hand motions was lost on them. Arden could tell there was intelligence among those fiery outsiders, but the barriers to their communication seemed to be as much cultural as linguistic.

Just then, another figure appeared. A heavy-set vesk clad in soot-blackened scholar’s robes was clambering over the rubble toward the trio. His thick tail stuck out behind him, cracked and bleeding in places from being dragged through the burning debris, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“You have their attention!” he shouted in a booming baritone. “What’s your plan?”

“We’re trying to get them to follow us to a room where they can’t damage the station,” Arden said. Even as he talked, he continued trying to wave them over, to no avail.

“You’ve been sending at them, is that right?” the vesk asked.

“Yes,” Arden answered, surprised. “How could you tell?”

“Well, they clearly can’t hear you over all this racket,” the vesk replied, as though this should have been obvious. “And they can’t ‘see’ the way you or I do. They have a sense of precisely where you are, but your arm movements are lost on them, I’m afraid.”

Arden was impressed. The vesk had made it sound like this was all common knowledge.

“If you’ll allow a suggestion,” the vesk said. “I have reason to believe they might understand draconic. What languages have you already tried sending at them?”

“Um, Common?”

The vesk rolled his eyes. “Here, send this message. It means, essentially: ‘Safe cave in direction I go. You follow.’”

Arden didn’t think he could have actually pronounced the strange guttural syllables the vesk provided him with, but his mind had no such limitations. He sent the message as he'd been instructed.

“It’s working!” the vesk exclaimed.

They’d begun forming up in a single-file line behind them, careful to only walk where the one in front had already stepped. Arden wondered if they were deliberately trying to avoid spreading more fire than they had to, or if there was some other reason for it.

Without a second’s pause, Harry yelled, “Alright you guys, let’s move!” and started walking.

As they followed after him, the vesk turned to Arden again. “It was good that you can send. Is the ability learned or innate for you?”

***A little of both,*** Arden replied with a sending. ***Sensing born, sending trained.***

“Amazing!” the vesk shouted. “I can hear you clearly, even with all the noise!”

***You can just think your message back to me.*** Arden wouldn’t have minded speaking, but the hot smoke burned his lungs and he didn’t think he had the breath to yell much longer.

*** _ Ah, right! Should’ve remembered. My associate’s a mystic. I am-- _ ***  Whatever he was was lost.

***Sorry, should have explained, limit is 10 words per response.***

** _ Oh, my apologies! We don’t actually do this very much. _ ***

***That’s fine. You were saying “I am” something?***

*** _ I am Nevaz Dragontongue of Ning, traveling scholar. And you? _ ***

***I’m Arden Finder. Very pleased to make your acquaintance.***

*** _ Aren’t you a journalist with Skyworld News? _ ***

Arden was surprised at that response. He wasn’t used to being recognized. ***Yes and no,*** he replied. ***Independent journalist. Skyworld sometimes publishes my work.***

*** _ I see. I read your article on the Arkaya mission. _ ***

***Thank you for reading. Always nice to meet an admirer.***

*** _ There were a few serious shortcomings in that article’s research. _ ***

Arden paused.  _ Okay, not a fan, apparently _ , he noted with disappointment. He kept the conversation going telepathically, but found it utterly surreal to be fleeing for his life while being berated over his scholarship.

The party continued scrambling after Harry, but it was difficult going, and some paths through the wreckage that had been safe enough when he’d originally come out to reach them had become too dangerous to follow back. Several times they realized they couldn’t proceed the way they’d planned and had to turn around, having to be extra careful not to step where the fire elementals had been. And all the while, poisonous smoke swirled thickly around them, stinging their eyes and burning their lungs.

The heat was getting worse too. Arden assumed Karadite would try to carry him if he passed out, but he wasn’t sure how much longer she’d manage in these conditions either. Harry’s flashlight barely cut through the fumes, and even those in the party with low-light vision had trouble seeing which way he was going.

There were other survivors to be rescued as well. The first one they met was an ysoki who went by the name of Cheezy. His craft had crashed around the same time Arden and Karadite’s had. Like many of the ratfolk, he was a pilot. He’d been ferrying a businessman on his way back from Akiton when his ship was disabled. His passenger had perished in the crash. Cheezy had only avoided the same fate by virtue of his small size. Had he been a head taller, he would’ve lost it.

*** _ Glad you guys found me. Let’s get out of here! _ *** he told Arden. Cheezy had been badly affected by the heat and smoke, and couldn’t have communicated at all if not for Arden’s link. If he’d had a re-breather in his ship, he hadn’t gotten it out with him. Fortunately, he’d managed to get his personal drone free, a modified combat unit that moved on four legs. He was too weak to walk, so he rode the drone instead..

The next survivors they found were Thohuko and Lili, a pair of travelers who’d come on the same ship together from Castrovel. They both had re-breathers, but they’d gotten turned around while trying to find the exit, and were still in danger from the heat. They’d been on the first ship to crash, and claimed there had been other survivors as well. But they’d gotten separated from the others in the confusion of the docking bay as additional ships had crashed around them.

Thohuko, a lashunta, was tall and olive-skinned, with close-cropped hair and a pair of long, delicate antennae sprouting from his forehead. His shirt was torn across the chest, revealing impressive musculature, as well as a nasty-looking cut. It looked like he'd had a close call. “I’ll be alright,” he assured them. Harry seemed satisfied by this and continued leading the way.

Lili was a young human woman, fair-skinned with long dark curls, but covered in a thick layer of grime. She was dressed as though she were embarking on a jungle expedition.

Lili was fascinated by the fire elementals. “I’ve heard of their kind living on the sun, but they almost never leave it! Can they speak?”

“We don’t know,” Nevaz said. “If they can, it may not be a language anyone outside their race even knows. But they do seem to understand draconic, even if they aren’t able to answer in it.”

“I’m a xenoseeker,” Lili said by way of introduction. “Learning to communicate with new species is kind of my thing.”

“A fellow scholar! When we escape, you must tell me more of your research.”

“It would be my pleasure,” she said with a smile.

On their way out, the last person they met up with was Jian’chi, an android mystic who hadn’t been on any ship. She’d come to the docking bay searching for Nevaz.

“I was worried about you, Nev,” she said. She gave him a quick hug, then fell into step beside them.

“I was worried for myself too!” Nevaz said. “But I’m sorry for upsetting you. When the emergency workers were directing us past this docking bay, I saw these fire elementals appear. It was just before the first ship crashed, and I had no idea it was about to become so treacherous.”

“I know,” Jian said, “I tried to follow you, but after the explosions began I couldn’t see you anymore. I feared the worst.”

Harry led them through the exit at last. The transition felt cold and wonderful. Arden sagged to his knees and gratefully gulped down lungfuls of clean air.

Another dock worker ran up to their group. “Harry! Thank the gods you’re alright,” he said. He quickly produced a medical kit and prepared to triage each of their conditions. He continued talking as he worked. “The chief said we couldn’t go after you because it had gotten too dangerous. He sent the rest of the crew to bring the other survivors to the makeshift field hospital they’ve set up in The Eye, but he left me here to wait for you. I’d nearly given up hope!”

“Well, as you can see," Harry said, removing his mask, "I survived, and I’ve brought a tricky group of survivors with me.” He pointed back the way they'd came.

The other man blanched as he turned and saw the fire elementals standing just inside the hangar. “What are they!” he shouted, backing away in terror.

“Relax, Larry,” Harry said calmly. “They’re fire elementals who apparently had no intention of coming here today. We’re taking them to the rocket room for their own safety and the station’s. Now get the little one some O2.” He pointed at Cheezy, who looked like he was about to faint.

Larry sprang to his side and provided the aid, still darting worried glances at the elementals.

“Now let’s get to the rocket room,” Harry said, once he was satisfied Cheezy would be okay. “Larry, I’ll need your help with the door. Take the ysoki with us and we’ll get him to a medic once we’re finished. Arden, they’re following you, so you need to come too. The rest of you can stay with me or head to the dome where they’ve been gathering the other civilians. Your call.”

“I’ll come,” Nevaz answered. “I should be able to communicate with the elementals directly now.”

“I’m coming too,” Lili volunteered.

“You’re not leaving me alone again,” Jian said, looking directly at Nevaz.

“How about it, Thohuko?” Lili asked. “You coming?”

“Sure, why not,” he answered good-naturedly.

Only Karadite remained.

“Karadite, you coming or not?” Arden asked the android.

She hesitated a moment, then rolled her eyes and said, “fine.”

The path to the rocket room involved several turns as they went about the labyrinthine corridors of Absalom Station’s engineering section, but Harry knew the way by heart. 

Before long, Cheezy was feeling well enough to walk under his own power. He still held the oxygen up to his face, but looked much improved. His trusty drone padded behind him.

The same EM pulse that had knocked out so many ships’ engines had disabled a number of systems on the station as well, leaving most corridors lit with only emergency lighting and the glow of the fire elementals. As they neared their destination, in the dim light just outside the rocket room, some of the shadows separated from the walls and became solid.

Arden and Jian felt the new presence at the same time, but Jian found the source first: three figures floating just above the ground behind them, with long hoods and claws, carrying an aura of malevolent energy.

“Watch out!” Jian warned, pointing at the menacing phantoms. “They’re Allips! Extremely dangerous shades! They won’t just kill you, they can destroy your soul.”

The Allips had taken up a position behind their group. The fire elementals were between them and the rest of the party, and by some silent communication, spread themselves out into a defensive phalanx. But instead of attacking, the Allips began a horrible high-pitched chanting.

The rest of the group were far enough away to shield their minds from the psychic assault, but the fire elementals weren’t so lucky. They rose from their defensive crouches and walked mindlessly toward the phantasms, hypnotized and helpless.

Jian, with her rapid android reflexes, drew her laser pistol and fired, somehow finding a clear line of sight between their allies.

Karadite and Arden each followed suit with their own weapons, but in the chaos of battle, their shots went wide.

Cheezy dropped the oxygen he’d been holding, jumped onto his drone, and rushed forward. He shot the same Allip as Jian, dodging between the still-hypnotized elementals. Then he hopped off his drone and planted himself in front of one of them. “Stop!” he yelled. But it continued walking, seemingly unaware. Cheezy was forced to jump to one side before it burned him.

The first Allip stopped chanting and turned to find its attackers, while the other two continued to draw the helpless elementals toward them. Thohuko, chanting softly, had used the brief time of battle shaping elemental energy in his hands. Before the Allips could strike their fiery prey, he directed three powerful blasts, striking each of their enemies with unswerving accuracy. The missiles were devastating. All three Allips shrieked in rage and their chanting ceased. One by one, the fire elementals shook off the mind control and again prepared to face their assailants.

The Allips were hurt, but still deadly. They began attacking the fire elementals directly, surrounding them in turn and unleashing a focused psychic assault. Arden shuddered at the sight. He’d never witnessed a soul rend before, but had no difficulty identifying it. One of the elementals fell in agony as its mind was ripped apart.

The party continued their counterattack. Firing from close range, Nevaz and Lili’s shots appeared to hit, but the Allips managed to become insubstantial just as they landed. Then Arden’s pistol scored against one, and Cheezy managed to injure another.

But it was Thohuko, again, whose blasts of energy sent all three of the enemy reeling, providing the elementals a fresh opportunity to attack in earnest. Moving as one, they swarmed over the Allips. One managed to evade the assault, but the other two were caught, grabbed, and held down before they could react. The elementals raked them with burning and bludgeoning blows. With dying shrieks, the pair vanished from their unholy existence.

It seemed their victory was nearly at hand when the fire elementals suddenly stopped attacking and dropped their defenses. 

Arden’s own mind became fuzzy and confused. His sight grew dim and his hearing distant. He felt as though he was back on the transport ship just after the gravity had been cut off, except he wasn’t frightened anymore. He was filled with a profound sense of peace.

Off in the distance, the last remaining Allip seemed not an evil spirit, but a long-forgotten friend that Arden suddenly remembered and desperately missed. All he wanted was to make his way over to it.

Arden had a vague awareness of the others to either side of him, but he couldn’t remember who they were. They were all moving together though. Even though he couldn’t feel his feet anymore, he could tell they were bringing him closer. The fear that had been rushing through him for the past three awful hours was pushed away to the blurry edge of his perception, a distant and easily ignored voice trying to tell him that something was wrong.

Three quick blasts of energy slammed into the final Allip. It shrieked and vanished like the other two.

Nevaz and Thohuko were the only ones who had managed to throw off the mental assault. Nevaz couldn’t get a clear shot, and couldn’t get close enough to use his blade, but Thohuko’s last magic missile had struck the Allip, saving the rest of the party from their doom.

Arden was still under its power when it was destroyed. A wave of nausea and despair descended on him, nearly making him faint. He fell to the floor and retched. 

Jian was the first to notice him on the ground. “Are you badly damaged?” she asked, looking for signs of trauma.

“Just... give me a moment,” he said, wincing at the shooting pains in his forehead. As an empath, he realized he must have been more sensitive to the effects of the Allip’s destruction than the others.

Karadite came over next. “Are you going to die?” she asked. Arden wondered whether he detected a hint of concern in her voice.

“Just help me up,” he said. Already the waves of pain had grown tolerable.

She extended an arm and helped him up.

“Thank you,” he said to both of them.

Jian and Karadite went to stand by the others. Nevaz appeared to be taking charge, which was fine by Arden. He figured that of all of them, the vesk seemed to have the brains for it.

He walked over too, once he trusted his knees not to buckle.

Working together, Harry and Larry had already opened the giant blast doors into the rocket room.

“Stand clear,” Nevaz was saying. “They’re going to try to keep their distance from you, but they can’t see the way we do. Don’t be in their way.”

He uttered a new phrase in draconic and the elementals once again formed their line. Already, the tiles they had been standing on during the fight were glowing and looked close to melting.

As they settled into the giant chamber, Nevaz made some additional phrases, attempting to converse with them in draconic, but they couldn’t answer him beyond raising and lowering their arms in response to his inquiries.  

After a few minutes of this, he turned to the others and explained the situation. “They don’t communicate the same way we do, but they can understand me. Or maybe just one of them does and is relaying my words. I can’t say for sure and it isn’t important right now. But unfortunately, I can’t do any more than ask yes or no questions, which greatly limits what I can learn from them. I’m sure the story of their coming here would be extremely illuminating as we try to investigate what happened, and I hope we find a way for them to share it. 

“They don’t know if there are any others of their kind aboard the station, but I suspect we’ll hear about it soon enough if there are. I’ve told them I’ll try to find a way to return them to the plane of fire, and they’ll just need to wait here in the meantime. I’m not sure how long they can survive in our plane, so I’ll need to make arrangements quickly. I hope some of you will aid me.”

The others looked around at each other and nodded.

Harry used his key card to close the blast doors. Even without trying, Arden could still sense their fear. The battle may have been won, but their lives remained in mortal peril for as long as they were trapped in the material plane.

“Harry,” Arden asked when he had finished. “Do you know anything more about this situation? What happened here?”

Harry frowned at him and nodded. “I know a little more, yes. The Starstone was under attack just before the explosion struck.”

“The Starstone!” Thohuko exclaimed. “Which way is it from here?”

Harry pointed.

“That’s the direction the Allips were heading when we encountered them,” Jian informed the group.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,“ Nevaz said. “There’s still many levels to descend before they’d be able to reach it." Then he sighed. “But I agree, it does seem probable that the Starstone was their destination when they met us, and even if it’s been damaged, I’d still fear to learn what happens if those creatures manage to touch it.”

“We have to warn someone!” Lili cried in horror. “What about station security? There could be other Allips heading the same way. We should let them know!”

Harry grew even darker. “We can call, but I'm not sure how many can respond. Most of the security personnel were near the Starstone chamber, trying to stop the attack, and I fear not many are left. For all we know,” Harry said, “you lot could be some of the best equipped on the station to deal with this threat.”

They absorbed his information in stunned silence.

The ones with working communicators tried a few times just in case, but as Harry had suspected, their calls to security went unanswered.

“Let’s stay together for now,” Nevaz said. “We don’t know what other dangers are around, and we’re not going to be able to face them alone.”

Harry raised his hands apologetically, “I’d like to stay with you folks, but I’ve got responsibilities to attend to. Getting this sector back in order is going to take everyone from my team.”

Larry looked over at Cheezy, “You’re looking better, do you still want to go to the medical unit?”

Cheezy shook his head, “I don’t really do crowds, and I imagine that’s exactly what any hospital is going to be right now. But thanks for the help.”

Harry and Larry headed back the way they’d came. The others agreed to stay together, at least until they’d had time to recover.

Around the station, shadows moved.

*******


	2. Encounters With Unwelcome Guests

## Absalom Station Attacked. Search for Survivors Continues, Along with Search for Answers.

**_Arden Finder_ **

_**Pact Worlds Newswire Service** _

Mara Preston had just sat down to tea in her apartment 5 levels above the Starstone, when, as she describes it, “it was like a giant threw me into the floor as hard as it could, and then sat on me.” Between 7 and 8g of acceleration was suddenly pulling Mara, her tea, her table, her floor, and her ceiling straight down.

Underneath her, the Starstone had broken, unleashing a tremendous gravity wave pulling everything toward it with the force of a black hole. The pulse only lasted 1.4 seconds, but that was more than long enough to twist and crush everything - including Mara - that happened to be in its path.

The strength of the force fell off as the square of the distance. Those within 30 meters of the blast in any direction were subjected to 30g in an instant, and no survivors are expected to be found within that zone.

But Mara was one of the lucky ones. She was far enough away to survive the initial gravity surge, and her apartment sits just over one of the station’s main water recycling centers. While her legs were crushed in the implosion, she was mostly shielded by the steel and water between her and the incredible burst of radiation that followed right after. She’ll have to be treated for the occasional tumor over the course of the next few years, but she should expect to live out her normal lifespan.

Even after the gravity returned to normal, Mara’s ordeal continued over the next 12 hours. Anything with a nanocircuit had been fried to slag in the EM pulse unleashed by the blast. She couldn’t call out on her communicator, and her robotic valet couldn’t lift the wreckage of what had once been her ceiling off her legs.

She remained trapped in the rubble of her apartment in total darkness, drifting in and out of consciousness and becoming dangerously dehydrated. The rescue team that found her had to navigate masses of warped floor panels and bulkheads, furniture and electronics, plus all the other crushed detritus of modern society, to  tunnel through what remained of the residential block where she and over 600 other people had lived before the disaster. Yet she had been saved, which was more than could be said for most victims as close to the explosion as she had been.

For the families of the missing, the ongoing rescue efforts are proceeding at a snail’s pace. So far, portions of the station’s living and industrial areas surrounding interior junction corridors below level 7 have been breached by emergency workers. Scattered survivors have been evacuated to medical centers, but even among those lucky enough to have survived the gravity surge, many received lethal doses of radiation and are not expected to recover.

The current number of confirmed dead was 901, as of publication time, but we’ve been told to expect that number to rise significantly as more areas around the Starstone become accessible.

According to Heinrik Polaski, vice commander with the Knights of Golarion and acting head of the recovery operation, 73% of the imploded volume is still inaccessible, but telepathic scans have identified numerous scattered life signs, and rescue teams have prioritized gaining access to those regions with the greatest numbers of trapped survivors.

Many of the wounded are presently undergoing treatment, and while the other Pact worlds have sent a number of doctors and healers to assist in the effort, along with hospital ships to provide desperately needed patient beds, the need still exceeds the available capacity. Patients have had to be treated wherever medical personnel can work on them, be it in a hospital or a repurposed hangar bay.

All told, 5238 people remain unaccounted for. Nearly 1400 remain in treatment, with many of them in critical condition. Around 4000 others were discharged following treatment for minor injuries. In all, nearly 12,000 people were hurt, killed, or remain missing. Tens of thousands more have become homeless.

Even those whose homes didn't collapse outright may find themselves forced to seek emergency accommodation. Any dwelling within 200 meters of the starstone is likely to be structurally deficient, and potentially uninhabitable until major repairs are completed, including the residences of nearly all neighborhoods of The Spike below level 10, home to more than 80,000 residents.

Nearly everyone on the station has been affected by the disaster, either directly, or through a close friend or relative. And everyone is on edge, wondering when and where the next disaster will strike.

The number of station security robots and personnel killed, injured, or missing accounts for just under a third of the total force. Station residents with their own armaments and training are being urged to report to security headquarters for volunteer assignments protecting the population.

Possibly due to the nature of the magic unleashed in the explosion, a number of the dead have returned as malevolent spirits known as Allips. These Allips have been responsible for 18 recorded attacks, some fatal, in the hours since the incident. So far, no identifiable pattern has been discovered in their actions, and all citizens are urged to travel in groups for their own safety. The Allips can be driven off or destroyed, but magic-based attacks have the greatest effect, as they possess the ability to become incorporeal when shot with projectile or energy weapons.

In addition to the people that were lost, the physical rebuilding of the damaged areas will require years. Beyond the homes that were lost, vital station infrastructure (such as the water recycling plant below Mara’s dwelling) was damaged and destroyed as well. Absalom Station residents have been advised to expect occasional problems with heating, cooling, water, and power as some of those systems break down and their work gets shunted over to backup units, but engineers have agreed that, thanks to the many levels of redundancies designed throughout it, the bulk of the station will remain habitable during the repair process.

Those who live in areas that aren’t presently habitable will find lodgings in converted commercial and government buildings that were undamaged by the attack.

The Syndicsguild, with generous support from the Pact Council, has already agreed to make the rebuilding project a top priority, and one of their first official acts following the disaster was to request bids from contractors throughout the Pact and the Veskarium. They’ve promised that new permanent residences will start becoming available within a few weeks.

In the less damaged areas, citizens are trying their best to carry on normally. Most businesses further than a kilometer from the blast have reopened, though a few remain shuttered, either because the workers are among the dead, wounded, or missing, or because their owners decided to take what they could and charter a flight off-station.

At this point, investigators say they’ve learned that the Starstone was attacked by a small team of infiltrators, but the identities and motivations of the attackers are unknown. While popular theories point to either religious fanatics or a rogue faction within the Veskarium (neither possibilities have been confirmed nor discarded), authorities stress that no one has yet been identified. They’ve asked for help from anyone who may have further information.

If it turns out to have been an attack by another world or system, there can be little doubt that war will follow. Many believe war is already upon us, we simply don’t yet know who we’re fighting. Reserve military commanders, pilots, and soldiers with both the Knights of Golarion and the Stewards have all been recalled to active duty, and await their deployment orders.

None of the salvage teams have been able to reach the Starstone itself, and scans are giving only minimal details for now. From what our scientists have been able to determine, the Starstone appears to have fractured along a single faultline, resulting in 2 distinct pieces, though possibly with others too small to detect. It is unknown whether or not the Starstone can be repaired, though researchers with the Arcanamirium have confirmed that plans are being drawn up for the attempt.

* * *

 

Arden hit the publish command, then sat back in his chair and sighed. It was less informative than he would’ve liked, but it would have to do. His report would go out over the wire, and by evening every Pact Worlds citizen would have access to it. It was a bare bones report compiling what was known and what was being done, but it barely touched on the true importance of the events.

It had been 23 hours since the attack. After resting outside the rocket room for a while, the lights had come back on throughout the station and they’d been told to clear the engineering levels while repair work continued.

Karadite had left to go check on her apartment. She hadn’t said anything about it while they’d kept watch together, but he supposed she must have been worried about it. He’d never seen her place, and he certainly didn’t expect an invitation, but he knew she lived somewhere in The Spike.

Nevaz and Jian had headed to a private dock maintained by the Starfinder Society. Nevaz planned to learn more about the attack, while Jian’s interests were more practical. Apparently, the two of them had a ship, and she wanted to see if it was still in working order. It was far enough from the Starstone that the blast shouldn’t have fried its systems too badly, especially with the dock itself acting as a shield against the EM pulse that had crippled Arden’s ride, but she still needed to go through a litany of diagnostics before she could be sure it was ready to fly.

Thohuko and Lili had left together, she to the hotel room she’d originally booked, and he to check in at the Arcanamirium, where he was apparently enrolled. Arden idly wondered if Thohuko might be able to keep him apprised as to the progress of plans to repair the Starstone.

Cheezy was still in the engineering corridors when Arden had left for one of the makeshift field hospitals, hoping to gather first-hand accounts from those closest to the event. Cheezy wasn’t very clear about what he would do next. Arden got the impression that he wasn’t going to be completely honest with him, had he pressed for details. But he hadn’t bothered. He'd figured it wasn’t his business anyway. Arden wondered idly whether they’d ever see each other again.

He turned his thoughts back to the problem that had consumed him since that first flash of light he’d seen from his viewport. The most important question was “why”, followed closely by “who”. Why was the Starstone attacked in the first place? Was it an enemy trying to weaken the Pact before striking? A band of anti-human terrorists hoping to wipe away what remained of Golarion society and culture? Someone who just wanted to start a war they might be in a position to profit from?

And what would the Starstone do now that it had been damaged? Would it still even work as a Drift beacon? And how had it brought those fire elementals to the station? The station still had power, so somehow it was still sending energy to at least some of the reactors and power conduits, which was a relief. Even though it hadn’t been destroyed in the explosion, Absalom would still be a cold, dead island in space without the Starstone’s power.

As for the Allips currently making mischief around the station - were they creations of the Starstone itself, or a side effect of whatever weapon was used to damage it?

A shudder passed through him at the memory of his last encounter.

Arden sat in a drab, cramped little office on the third floor of the AbadarCorp building. This far from the explosion, there was little evidence of the attack that had happened far below. There was a small crack in the ceiling that he didn’t think had been there before, but he wasn’t sure.

The ceramasteel structure of the building itself had been scanned at the molecular level, and still retained 98% of its strength. Tiny stress fractures in the supporting pylons were even now being repaired thanks to the self-healing nano-composites honeycombed throughout them. By tomorrow, the entire building would be as sturdy as though the attack had never happened.

The windowless office he’d been assigned years ago, when he first started working as one of the informal spies used by AbadarCorp, had received little use from him, but appeared to be serving just fine as a storage space for obsolete tech. He assumed it was probably just convenient to have a place to store it until there was enough to be worth recycling all at once.

Arden had no doubt he could ask someone from the facilities department to clear out the office and it would be taken care of within the hour, but he didn’t bother. He hadn’t used it in months, and he didn’t think his time on the station would last much longer anyway.

None of this was what he’d envisioned for his return to the station. He’d been following the trail of the Black Star League, a corrupt mercenary outfit that had resorted to blackmail, bribery, and assassination to keep the lucrative security contracts flowing in its direction.

With Karadite’s help, he’d been preparing to bust the entire operation wide open. He had the names he needed, and the proof of what they’d been doing. He just needed to give his handlers 48 hours to prepare before telling the public, to make sure they’d get the authorities in position to act before the guilty parties could flee the station.

It was going to be the most important work of his career. It had already consumed the last two years of his life, and just as he was about to see it through, the Starstone attack had pushed it all aside.

For the foreseeable future, the Black Star League wouldn’t need to do anything illegal to get all the work it wanted. They couldn’t pick up every contract on offer now if they had ten times as many people and ships at their disposal. They, and every other mercenary outfit and arms merchant in the Pact, were about to grow fat thanks to the coming conflicts, whoever the adversary turned out to be.

Even if the Pact didn’t go to war, enemies from both within and beyond their borders were going to be harassing their merchant ships to a greater degree than ever, knowing that the Pact would simply be too overwhelmed with the current crisis to mount an adequate response.

Jeri, his contact at AbadarCorp, had been blunt with him, as always. “You’re just going to have to sit on it for now,” she'd told him. “Black Star League may be crooked as hell, but the Pact needs their fleet. You report now, it’s just going to be covered up. Even the people in government who don’t work for them are going to help them do it. I’m sorry. You’ll just have to be patient. Those executives will be brought to justice someday, but not today.”

Arden caught himself grinding his teeth again. He should be furious, along with everyone else who’d gotten caught in it, that anyone would dare attack the Starstone. No one knew what damaging that strange magical artifact might have done. It was lucky the entire station hadn’t been destroyed in the blast. For all anyone knew, that might well have been the intent of the attack all along.

But he was mad that they’d attacked it _yesterday_ , of all days. Couldn’t they have waited another week, he wondered?

That last thought brought a chagrined smirk to his lips. Thousands of casualties, tens of thousands homeless, and yet he was focused on his own little exposé. And why? Because he’d spent two years working on it?

He’d followed up on a suspicious circumstance and stumbled onto a secret criminal conspiracy that reached the highest levels of government and Black Star’s corporate boardroom. It was every journalist’s dream to write such a story, to say nothing of how terrifying the investigation had been. More than once he’d been afraid they’d figure out what he was doing and kill him to keep it quiet.

And yet, here he was in the middle of what was sure to be the most important moment of his life, perhaps even the most consequential moment in post-Gap history, and he was thinking about a different story entirely?

Well, the timing could’ve been better, he supposed, but this was the assignment now, that was for sure.

He went over what he knew.

The attack had been conducted by a small strike team of 4 people. Throughout the attack, they hadn’t appeared to be coordinated by anyone else, but had sent out a single short transmission a few minutes before the explosion. The official investigation team hadn’t worked out who the intended recipient of the transmission was, but his contact had told him it was definitely short-range, meaning someone on the station or in local space.

Arden wasn’t sure what to make of that. Had the Starstone’s destruction caused the entire station to explode, there wouldn’t have been much point to that transmission. The transmission only made sense if the recipient was going to be alive to do something about it. Either the attackers knew the station would survive the attack (in which case, it’s an even bigger mystery how they could’ve predicted that), or the purpose of the message was such that it didn’t matter whether the recipient survived or not.

Additionally, the investigation had revealed  that the assailants had somehow gotten hold of valid security codes to enter the maintenance chamber without setting off any alarms. Up until the moment they began assaulting the interior access door, no one had made any move to stop them.

He was going to need to do his own investigating. The first question he wanted answered was how they’d gotten those codes. Short of an order from the Pact Council itself, nobody should’ve been able to get that close to the Starstone without setting off the most over-engineered security system humans had ever devised. Had they simply been that skilled, or did they have an inside man?

Before Karadite had left to check on her apartment, he had asked her if she could also check in with some of her contacts to find out if any of them had seen something. Maybe they’d be willing to talk to Karadite even if they hadn’t opened up to the official investigators. He figured it was worth trying at least.

Arden’s thoughts drifted back to Mara Preston, lying in the makeshift field hospital with her legs bound in hardtape while she waited for her turn in the medistation, telling him what she’d been though.

It had been pure hell for her. The terror, the pain, and the shock would live on in her psyche long after the physical injuries themselves faded.

Thousands of other innocents had been through that same hell. And thousands were still going through it, trapped and scared; some dying right now because the rescuers weren’t able to reach them in time. Even many of the ones they’d freed or would free, would still spend the next few days dying in slow agony, their skin sloughing off and their organs liquefying due to the intense blast of radiation they’d been exposed to.

He winced at the memories of the deaths he’d seen himself, after his ship had crashed into the smoldering docking bay. The smells were almost worse than the sights of the burning corpses and gastly injuries. He could remember how the miasma of fear from all the terrified minds of the victims had joined together in its own cacophony of raw emotional energy, nearly overwhelming him at the time.

He’d nearly slipped into another waking nightmare before he caught himself and jerked upright. He was tired, but not ready to sleep. He hadn’t gotten a proper rest since the attack, but he knew the dreams waiting for him when he finally slept were going to be bad.

Arden turned a weary gaze back to the data stream he’d been using to follow the rescue efforts. Two more survivors; four more dead. His article was barely five minutes old, and it was already out of date.

He logged off the terminal, picked up his bag, and walked out. He may not have felt refreshed, but his mana was recovered, and sitting in an office wasn’t going to get him any closer to finding out what had happened.

The door slid silently shut behind him.

*******

Lilin Arn set her brushes one at a time into the shallow basin of water by the sink and activated the sonic cleaning cycle. After a few seconds, she took them out and wiped them with a microfiber cloth before setting them aside to finish drying. Finally, she poured the murky mixture from the basin into a chemical separator.

The small, dark, cube-shaped device made a low hum when it was active. In a few minutes the water would be clean enough to drink, and the pigments would be separated and ready to reuse. It wasn’t much, but she didn’t believe in being wasteful with anything as precious as her art supplies. Or water, for that matter.

Lili had spent the morning alone in her hotel room, painting one of the small muslin canvases she always carried with her while traveling. She’d been working from memory to capture one of the fire elementals she’d encountered during her previous day’s adventure, and wasn’t sure whether she’d managed it. Normally, she would’ve been working off a still image, but her personal electronics had fried in the EM pulse that had lit up the station the day before, and she hadn’t been able to photograph one. Still, she thought she’d done an adequate job.

Lili had a gift for noticing details that others might miss. To the others, the 11 fire elementals they’d fought beside probably all looked alike, but not to her. They were all the same color, true, and they were each roughly the same height, but there were nevertheless features that set them apart. Some had longer limbs or a wider face, and they each burned with a slightly different flicker that changed with their emotions.

The one she had painted had an angled face that looked like it was tilted slightly to the left. She’d chosen that one because it always took the lead whenever the elementals had walked together. And whenever Nevaz had spoken to them, the others always looked at this particular fire elemental for a fraction of a second before looking back at Nevaz. It was subtle, but she was fairly certain it was their leader.

She wasn’t sure she’d get another chance to see them, but if she did, she hoped they’d find a way to communicate. There were few things more exciting for a xenoseeker than meeting a new species for the first time. And while fire elementals weren’t exactly unknown, these particular fire elementals didn’t appear to have ever left the plane of fire before. They were more “wild” than any elementals she’d ever heard of on the Prime Material Plane, and she wanted to learn as much about them as she could.

Lili dismantled her little easel and set her painting by the window to keep it out of the way while it dried. The view out into the gardens was a bucolic contrast to the carnage from the previous day. It was strange to think that even with the tragedy still fresh in her mind, here was a scene of peace and tranquility, filled with sights and smells direct from the jungles of Castrovel.

Staying at the Hanging Gardens Hotel, one of the finest on Absalom Station, had been a special treat she’d saved up for over the past several months. The hotel occupied a prominent spot beneath the giant transparent dome at the top of the station. And the ancient pre-Gap architects who'd built it had made skillful use of all that natural light. She closed her eyes for a moment and luxuriated in the warmth spreading over her skin.

It had been a dream to come to the capitol of the Pact and share her own research with the Starfinder Society. She’d been  overjoyed when she’d received the invitation to sit on one of the panels at their annual conference.

But now, with everything that had happened, she wasn’t really sure what she should do next. The conference had been abruptly canceled, and she couldn't afford to charter a new flight home after her ship had been destroyed in the attack. She had her hotel booking at least, and she was determined to get what enjoyment she could out of it.

There were certainly worse places to be than a luxury hotel, enjoying real sunshine and cool jungle breezes, while exotic birds flew past her balcony and sang to each other. Yes, she could make do.

She checked the time on her communicator - her friend Thohuko had been kind enough to repair it for her earlier. She wasn’t surprised to see she had missed breakfast, but at least it was only half an hour before the hotel restaurant was supposed to open for lunch. Now that she’d finally realized how hungry she was, she couldn’t wait to eat.

She left the room and walked briskly down the stairs to the lobby. Lunch would be available soon, and she’d enjoy walking around the hotel’s famous jungle gardens until it was time to eat.

As she approached the bottom landing, she was surprised to find a crowd of people hanging around looking bored and unhappy. Glancing over at the giant double doors leading to the courtyard, the reason became obvious - they were closed. A middle-aged man in hotel security livery was standing in front of them with his arms folded, making clear that no one would be getting through for now.

“Did they say when the gardens would re-open?” she heard one man asking a woman standing near him.

“They said it would take about an hour.” The woman glanced at her wrist display, “That was around 20 minutes ago, I think.”

Lili walked over to the woman who had just spoken. She was tall, with gray hair at her temples and an attractive, yet serious-looking face. “Excuse me,” Lili began. “I happened to overhear you just now. What were they doing that was supposed to take an hour?”

The woman turned to look at Lili and frowned. “I don’t know. They said it had something to do with the explosion yesterday. Some kind of maintenance, but they didn’t tell me what. They just said I had to leave the gardens and I could come back in an hour.” She leaned in closer and spoke in a quieter voice, “But I didn’t see anyone who looked like a technician, and it didn’t look like anyone was carrying tools. What I did see was a group of security personnel surrounding someone walking the other direction as I was escorted out.”

Lili was intrigued. “Did you get a good look at the person they were with?”

The woman nodded. “I only had a brief glimpse, but it was definitely a woman, around your height, or maybe a little shorter. But what stood out were her ears. They were long and thin, like one of the drow, but she had a fair complexion.”

Lili thought about that for a moment. “Could she have been an elf, perhaps?”

The woman shook her head. “You mean like one of the Forlorn? No, I’ve seen a Forlorn a couple of times over the years. This one wasn’t wearing a mask. And they wouldn’t be caught dead in her outfit. She looked like she had just been to a party. She had some sort of gown on. Oh, and I’d forgotten before, but I just realized she was smiling and carrying on a conversation with one of her escorts. No, definitely not an elf.”

Lili turned back toward the closed doors, wondering what they might be hiding. Perhaps a visitor from an unknown race? But no, an event like that would be handled by the Starfinder Society. The Drift was constantly bringing new races from across the galaxy, thanks to the Starstone’s presence on Absalom Station. The protocols for a first contact were well-established, and they didn’t involve the Hanging Gardens Hotel.

Her curiosity was piqued, but she wasn’t going to sneak through the main entrance while it was being guarded. On the other hand, she figured she might be able to get a better look at what was happening without going into the garden itself.

Lili turned back to the tall woman to thank her for the gossip, then excused herself to return to her suite. She rushed back up the stairs and strode through her door. Her hunger forgotten, she reached into her pack for her binoculars, then ran out to her balcony to see what she could discover.

From her vantage point, she couldn’t see anyone walking the paths and bridges stretching between the massive trees. The tall orange and red branches and broad white leaves of the Castrovelian milkwood and tanda trees blocked much of her view of the ground. It seemed unlikely she’d be able to see much of anything from here.

A flash of movement caught her eye on one of the branches to her left, but it was just a colorful Mika bird taking off.

Actually, that branch wasn’t all that far from where she was standing. She wondered whether… Lili shook her head at the ridiculous thought that had started to form. She couldn’t go leaping about on trees in a fancy hotel garden like some rambunctious squirrel from back home.

She looked back down along the few paths she could see between the foliage. Still nothing.

She looked over at the branch on her left again. Her first impression had been accurate: It really wasn’t all that far. It looked like about 2 meters from her balcony. She checked with her binoculars: 2.27 meters. And she’d have to add another half meter or so to get to a decent place to jump on. 2.7 meters was far, but with a running start she could do it. And the branch was a little below her too, so it would be easier than a 3 meter long jump, which she knew from experience that she could do. Not that she’d try it here of course.

She peered back toward the ground.

Without really meaning to, Lili mentally calculated how sturdy the branch was. She figured it would hold her weight easily enough. Keeping her footing after she landed would be tricky, but she was pretty sure she could manage it. But still, she decided she wasn’t going to do it.

She bit her lip in thought as she scanned the ground some more. If she did do it though, what would it accomplish?

She looked up again, this time checking the distances between the trees. The branches grew fairly close together, and even intertwined into a proper canopy in some areas. Moving from branch to branch, a person could cover most of the garden, save for a few areas where the stream was too wide for the branches to cross. But then again, if someone were perched on one of those branches near the stream, they’d have a mostly unobstructed view of the entire garden below.

They’d be pretty visible though. People would notice them when they moved. She gave a small sigh. Well, it was almost an interesting thought. She resumed her study of the ground.

Then again, she mused, if she wore her orange leggings and a white top, and avoided the patches of sunlight, it would be pretty hard for someone on the ground to distinguish her from the tree itself. She knew it was still a ridiculous notion, but with all the birds constantly taking off or landing, even her movement might not be noticed if she was careful not to leap between branches when anyone was looking in her direction.

She was still convinced she wasn’t going to do it up until halfway through changing her outfit. Her dark hair was tied back and tucked into her collar to keep it out of her way and unseen. She took a moment to enjoy the feel of the soft carpet beneath her bare feet as she slung her utility rope over her shoulder.

“This is crazy,” she muttered to the empty room.

She made a quick check to see if any of the other guests nearby happened to be out on their own balconies. It looked clear. She backed to the inside wall at a point directly opposite the branch and focused on her breathing. _Still not too late to change your mind_ , she reminded herself.

Lili waited a few more seconds, letting her muscles tense and relax, committing her will to the challenge ahead. Her focus narrowed to a single point in space less than 3 meters from the edge of her balcony.

In a sudden burst of speed, she sprinted forward. Heart racing, she vaulted onto the railing with a single swift motion and took a flying leap into space.

The branch made an alarming cracking noise and dipped beneath her weight as she stepped onto it. She’d meant to let her momentum carry her forward to where the branch was thickest, but the bark was surprisingly wet. Instead of continuing forward in the nimble run she had envisioned, her feet lost their purchase and she fell face-first. Her legs slipped off to either side, and she reflexively wrapped them around the branch while she tried to grab on with her hands. Her chin collided against the wet bark before she could get her bearings. She was dazed, but still managed to stifle her cry of pain to a mere wimper.

The exterior layers of bark disintegrated beneath her grip like damp plaster where she tried to get a secure hold. She managed to stop her fall, but felt herself slipping backward off the branch and began to panic. She tightened her legs, gripping with her thighs on the thin bit of branch behind her.

Her right hand grabbed something rough and she stopped sliding. Where the outer bark had peeled away, the heart of the branch was tacky and solid. She found another purchase with her left hand and pulled herself carefully forward, still hugging the branch to her body.

The branch swayed with every movement she made, as she slowly dragged herself toward the trunk. The one nice thing about the soft outer bark was that it didn’t chafe as she progressed bit by bit, but she was panting and out of breath when she finally reached her goal, as much from the adrenaline coming down as from the exertion itself. She wanted to stand, but she doubted her knees would be able to support her in her current state.

She still had her rope and the hip pouch with her gear. But her palms were badly scraped, her chin and nose were dripping blood, and her clothes looked like they’d been pulled from a mauling victim. _I’ve probably looked better_ , she admitted.

She stopped appraising herself and looked around. Below her, she had a clear view of the paths through most of the garden, and sure enough, in a clearing about 80 meters away, she spotted a woman in a green dress sitting on one of the benches, apparently in good spirits, and 4 men and women wearing the uniform of the hotel’s security guards standing nearby.

Lili reflected on how things were going so far. This was either proving to be easier, or much, much harder than she had expected.

*******

Jack Markham - Cheezy to everyone besides his mother - traced his way through the corridors of The Ring toward the docking bay where his ship, _The Sharp Cheddar_ , had crashed. _What a damn waste_ , he thought bitterly. It had finally been his, free and clear.

After months looking over his shoulder, he’d found out that the previous owner had given up on recovering it. And why not? It had been insured, after all. No skin off his ass if Cheezy found another use for it. The old blowhard would just buy a newer one. Maybe he’d change the default security codes this time, but probably not. It was one of the great mysteries of the universe how anyone that dumb ever managed to keep anything.

The real loser now was Cheezy. Obviously _he_ didn’t have any insurance to fall back on. Not many insurers would write a policy for a ship of questionable provenance. _And I’d just replaced the rear auto-turret_ , he lamented with an inward groan. He looked back at his trusty combat drone, Dott, and sighed, “At least _we_ survived, right?”

Dott beeped twice in acknowledgement.

A sign ahead warned him that he was entering a trespass zone. _Good_ , Cheezy thought, _less interference from the riff-raff._ Cheezy figured he could hide behind something if he needed to, and he had a keen sense for when prying eyes were nearby, but with security stretched as thin as it was, he was confident there wouldn’t be anyone guarding this corridor. The only thing he might have to worry about were looters, and he doubted there’d be many of them. As far as they knew, anything of value had been destroyed during the crashes.

Cheezy had to hope at least a _few_ things from his own ship had survived. He activated his electronic cloak and set Dott to stealth mode, to prevent any annoying scanners from picking them up, then knocked on the outer blast door. He smiled at the sound it made. _Fully pressurized. Excellent._ The door itself had been powered down though. He’d need to deal with that before he could go inside.

Cheezy took off his backpack and pulled out his tools. The access panel had taken heat damage from the fire, but he was able to get it off after a few moments of careful chiseling. He cursed when he saw the scratch-marks he’d left behind. He’d have preferred not to leave any evidence of his work. Cheezy was a firm believer that the best crimes were the ones no one knew about. _Too late to worry about it now_ , he thought.

Working with deft, familiar hands, he installed a bypass circuit, tricking the security systems into giving him access, then he powered the door’s motivators with a portable battery. He opened the doors partway - just wide enough to let him inside.

The smell hit him first. The familiar tang of metal and exotic matter was nearly drowned out by the sweet, sickening aroma of charred flesh and spilled blood. And over everything, his keen nose detected the lingering smell of the suppressing gases that had been used to extinguish the fires that had nearly burned and suffocated him the last time he’d been here.

He’d nearly died in this place. He’d known that was true, as a basic fact, the same way he knew that stars were giant fusion reactors and yttrium-barium-copper-oxide was a superconductor below 80 kelvin. But the way his hands began to sweat and his tail twitched back and forth involuntarily reminded him that he’d really, truly, come within microns of death in this place.

He could feel his desire to recover his cargo, and his desire to be anywhere in the universe other than here, fighting a fierce war within him.

The whole stint as a charter pilot had never been anything more than an excuse to come to Absalom Station without drawing unwanted attention. Sure, someone could bring an empty pleasure craft to the station for no reason other than to just look around, but that tended to bring unwelcome questions from people who thought you might be up to something nefarious, like spying, or overstaying your visa.

As a charter pilot, he could fade into the background, spend an hour in the starpilots lounge, meet up with his buyer, deliver his cargo, and leave with a small fortune, and no one would ever think to look twice at him or his ship.

But of course it had all gotten cocked up. That blasted EM pulse had shut off his engines, sent him hurtling into the docking bay, destroyed his ship, and nearly killed him. And he’d quite possibly lost the blueprints for the still-classified drift booster he’d managed to liberate from an insufficiently observant engineer on Verces.

He shook his head at the thought. He’d put too much effort into this deal to let his own demons scare him off. This might be the last place he wanted to be, but it was probably also his last chance to recover the cargo - cargo that his buyer had made clear he still expected him to deliver. Cheezy took a last look around, forced his tail to stay still, and scampered the rest of the way inside. Dott followed in perfect, silent obedience.

The sudden shift from the harsh environmental lighting to the pitch dark hangar took his eyes a moment to adjust. Fortunately, he could see nearly as well in the dark as most races could see by daylight.

The broken, burned-out hulls of ships, plus the wreckage of cargo loaders and shipping crates, littered the bay in every direction. But without needing to avoid fires this time, it was an easy walk to where the remains of his beloved _Sharp Cheddar_ lay in a huge twisted hulk. It broke his heart to see her, knowing she’d never fly again.

Cheezy looked for a way to access the hidden compartment concealing his true cargo. It was situated behind a fake wall panel near the navigation array. And unfortunately, it wasn’t intended to be accessible from outside the ship. The entry hatch was crushed, and the opening he’d managed to cut during his escape was too high for him to reach. He looked around for something he could climb on.

The arrival of a new smell broke his concentration. He felt his fur rising a moment before his conscious mind knew what it was: Allip-scent.

He looked around for the source, panic rapidly rising within him. The smell was distinct, but faint, competing with all the other odors of the devastation around him. He couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but the smell was beginning to grow stronger.

He thought back to his previous encounter with the Allips outside the rocket room. The amber emergency lighting and the glow of the fire elementals were the only source of illumination, but it had been adequate for normal vision. The Allips hadn’t looked entirely material, as if formed from solid shadow - bulk but no substance. _Perhaps darkvision can’t see them_ , he thought with a shudder.

Trembling, he reached into his pack and pulled out his cutting torch, trying to focus on the action and not the fear building within him. He was fumbling so badly he couldn’t depress the tiny trigger switch at first. He held the torch above his head as the arc of bright plasma flared into existence like a tiny sun.

His eyes re-adjusted to normal vision after a few seconds, and immediately confirmed his fears. He saw two Allips barely 10 meters away from where he was standing. He turned to run and saw three more in the opposite direction. As he turned his head, it seemed that wherever he looked, he saw more of them, all just hanging like ominous shadows a few centimeters off the ground.

He was surrounded. The docking bay was infested with the evil phantoms. Cheezy froze in sheer panic. He couldn’t breathe. His whole body was quivering with fear.

The Allips didn’t seem to notice him, or at least, his presence hadn’t caused them to act any differently. Looking closer, Cheezy saw that they appeared to consist of two distinct factions.

The first was like the ones they had encountered earlier, the recently deceased. In amongst the twisted claws and misshapen faceless hoods common to them all, this first group also bore the ghostly uniforms of pilots and security officers mixed with the modern outfits and familiar gang tattoos common among residents of the station’s poorer neighborhoods near the Starstone reactor.

But the other faction was different. They looked like a hodgepodge of sentients that had never known space travel - he saw several of them wearing impractical cloaks and easily damaged armor. Many of them even had what looked like quivers slung over their backs. If they were spirits of the dead, they were the ancient dead.

They weren’t making any sound he could detect, but Cheezy had the impression they were holding some sort of discussion.

His hand grew slick with sweat. His thumb slipped from the trigger, plunging him back into darkness. The Allips vanished from his view. Desperately, he fumbled with the trigger a few more times, missing twice before he managed to get it lit again.

He immediately regretted it. All of the Allips were facing his direction now, slowly drifting towards him.

In the midst of this fresh terror his mind stopped working and gave way to pure instinct. He ran. He didn’t pick a direction. He couldn’t think clearly enough for that. The torch fell from his hand and went out, but it hardly mattered. He was literally blind with fear now. He couldn’t see, couldn’t smell, and couldn’t stop.

His madcap run ended a few moments later when he slammed head-first into the wing of a destroyed Skyfire ship. His pack kept going and hit the back of his head with a painful second thud. The jolt was enough to restore some of his mind. Cheezy was completely disoriented, with no clue which way was out, but he suddenly remembered he had another option. Dott was still there behind him, following obediently, as silent as any ghost.

“Dott! Get me out of here!” Cheezy squeaked as he jumped into the riding harness and held tight.

With a burst of acceleration, they sped down the fastest route Dott’s AI could find back to the entrance, all pretense of stealth abandoned. Cheezy shut his eyes and silently pleaded with Asmodeus to let him survive another day.

The light caught him like a hammer blow as they at last tore back out into the corridor. Cheezy gasped, finally remembering to breathe again. He’d managed to form just one coherent thought in the course of their mad escape - find Thohuko, the one person he knew could go toe to toe with an Allip.

Cheezy kept Dott going full speed, not even thinking about the strain he was putting on her servos, and only briefly daring to look behind him.

No one was chasing them. But in the harsh lighting of the engineering corridor, unnoticed by either of them, a second shadow rode silently alongside their own.

*******


	3. Unfriendly Visits with Friends

Karadite opened her eyes exactly 8 hours after having closed them. Nothing had interrupted her sleep cycle. Feeling refreshed, she sat up and appraised her apartment with a critical eye. Her normally tidy space was in total disarray.

No one had broken in, though such an occasion was by no means out of the ordinary in her neighborhood. Rather, the Starstone incident had unleashed a pulse of just over 2 gravities, tilted 30 degrees from the vertical, which had knocked down shelves, broken her cheap furniture, and terrorized her gray tabby cat.

Poor Fuzzy was curled up on Karadite’s feet. She'd been looked after in Karadite’s absence by their neighbor, Alyssa, a friendly human who, aside from being fond of cats, also appreciated the opportunity to be owed a favor by someone with Karadite’s unique skills.

Fuzzy gave a soft meow of protest as Karadite left the bed before she was done enjoying the android's warmth.

Karadite started gathering up her fallen possessions, separating them into piles based on which were undamaged, which might be fixable, and which were broken beyond repair. The last category, sadly, included her custom-built VR rig.

Most people would look at her setup and assume it was for games, and it was true that there were a couple she'd been known to play. But what she mostly used it for was combat and agility training.

As an android, she could fully immerse herself in the virtual environments she designed, and the ultra high-powered processors she'd installed ensured those environments were indistinguishable from reality. Anything she taught herself in there worked just as well outside.

But the gravity pulse had knocked the base station on its side, breaking the EM shielding, just as a pulse of EM radiation bathed the apartment and fried her rig.

There was no help for it. Aside from some cables and a few components she'd been able to salvage, it was almost a complete loss. She'd take it with the other scrap down to the recycling centers. It would get broken down to its component elements and used as raw material for something else. It would earn her a few credits, but nothing close to what she'd spent on it.

She set it aside and continued cleaning.

She didn't own much and she was efficient with her efforts, so it only took 30 minutes to have the apartment returned to her standards. One box by the door held her trash, and another held the items she planned to get fixed. She'd deal with both later.

The broken bookshelf and small table could be sold as raw material, or she could pay a few credits to have them reformed at a printing shop. She hadn't yet decided, so they sat off to the side, out of the way until she was ready to deal with them.

Fuzzy had followed her progress with an aloof interest only cats can manage, but now she bounded over to the android’s leg and began purring.

“Miss me, little quadruped?” Karadite asked in an affectionate tone, as she reached down to scratch the cat between its ears. “You and I both had an adventure, didn't we?”

Fuzzy meowed in agreement.

“That's right, we did. And now I'm going to hunt down and kill everyone responsible for that adventure. Isn't that right?” Karadite cooed. “Yes it is! Oh yes it is!”

Fuzzy meowed again happily.

*******

The streets were emptier than usual for this time of day. A few hover scooters zipped passed on their way to somewhere else. The attack hadn't destroyed this neighborhood the way it had the ones nearer the Starstone itself, but the damage was plainly visible everywhere Karadite looked.

Most stores were closed. Some shopkeepers were busy cleaning broken glass and straightening shelves. Cracks were visible in the faces of buildings she passed, and some light fixtures were dark, giving the streets a gloomy look. Karadite didn't mind that, of course. It simply meant more shadows to stay out of sight in.

She wanted information, and while she was convinced that none of the people she dealt with down in The Spike would've knowingly helped in the attack, she thought it was at least possible that one of them might have sold their supplies or services to the team that did. She didn't know how the attack on the Starstone itself was carried out, but Arden had told her that the infiltrators had apparently gained access to it using valid security credentials. She never would've believed that such things could be fabricated. If it really was possible, it was so far beyond her skill she could hardly fathom it.

Based on some research she'd done, she knew the codes were DNA-locked with an undisclosed AI-developed hashing algorithm. By the time a new code was stored in the system, you could never work backwards to figure out the individual whose DNA had been sequenced, but only that individual could use it. And even with the algorithm, you couldn't create the credential without the hashing key carried by the Pact Council mainframe, which changed every 15 seconds. And _even if_ you somehow got the key, and the algorithm, and generated a code keyed to an individual, only a council member's personal access chip could add that code to the system and make it valid.

She had a few ideas for getting the key. And if it came to it, a stealthy person could get a councilor’s personal access chip and replace it before they realized it had been taken. But the algorithm was another matter.

The computer that ran it had no external ports to connect to and wasn’t on any network. It remained powered off most of the time, and could only be turned on by the insertion of 3 separate keys belonging to various high-ranking infosec officers - men and women who would be _much_ harder to steal anything from. She couldn’t work backwards to reverse engineer the algorithm. The hashing algorithm was so complex it required a bank of supercomputing quantum processors designed solely for that purpose in order to run. The verification algorithm that was done each time the security credential was presented was a simpler function, and she might be able to work out a way to satisfy it, but only if she had billions of valid codes and DNA pairs to work backward from. Considering that fewer than 50 keys had been generated since the algorithm’s creation, that wasn’t going to be an option either.

Any way she looked at it, it was impossible. _Maybe_ a sufficiently advanced technomancer could “trick” the security system and get them inside, but somehow they'd done it “honestly” - no spells, just authentic security codes. Either they'd actually gotten the council to authorize their access, or they'd uncovered a flaw in the access system itself - a system that she seriously doubted had any (and didn't know of a means by which to study it looking for one if it did).

Between the two possibilities, Karadite assumed it would have been simpler to just get hired on as the maintenance workers they'd been impersonating, but the security screenings should've gone wild if any of them had even been _contemplating_ something like the attack. But for all four of them to somehow pass and gain access? She just couldn't fathom that either.

Karadite didn't know which approach was more likely. But if the codes _were_ forged, there could only be a few hackers operating on Absalom Station that might have had that kind of ability, and Karadite figured it was time to get an introduction.

She decided she'd start by talking to her friend Nevis, a dwarf that ran a small bar that was popular with the gangs on the lower levels. It was dicey that he'd even be open, given the damage the area had suffered, but she figured she'd keep her eyes out for her other contacts while she walked.

Here and there, security robots and uniformed guards patrolled. Normally security didn't bother with this area, but with the recent Allip attacks, she was glad to see them. Of course, Karadite still wasn't interested in letting them see _her_ , so she slipped into the shadows whenever they appeared.

Nevis’s tavern was three levels above her own, and the amount of damage was noticeably less severe as she stepped out of the lift opposite its entrance. She was pleasantly surprised to see it open. She hadn't run into anyone she knew on her way up, but she hadn't really expected to. Most of them were probably still busy cleaning up their own spaces, and the extra security likely would've kept them inside anyway.

She walked in and took a seat at the bar.

“What'll it be?” Nevis asked her. His voice was even, but he barely looked at her when he spoke.

“Thulian tea,” Karadite answered. The inside of the bar was neat and clean. He'd obviously thrown out a few of the decorations, and Karadite appreciated the change.

“I see you got rid of the Meerfiends poster,” she said, pointing at the empty spot behind the bar where the musicians had once stared menacingly at the patrons. “Good choice. I never really liked it.”

Nevis frowned. “It broke,” he said coldly. “I'm getting it repaired, then I’m putting it right back up where it belongs. I'll have your tea ready in a minute.”

_Oops, think I touched a nerve,_ Karadite thought.

“Sorry, didn't mean to upset you,” she apologized. “A bunch of my stuff was destroyed too.” She looked around and realized the other reason the bar seemed so much neater than usual. “Where is everyone anyway? I thought I'd find at least a few of them here, drowning their sorrows after everything that's happened.”

Nevis didn't answer her right away. He looked out the window for a few seconds then turned back to look at her. “Why are you here, Karadite? I haven't seen you in a month, and suddenly here you are the day after someone attacks the Starstone.” He hadn't yelled, but there was a hint of real anger in his tone.

Karadite was shocked at his manner as much as his question. He was her friend! “You can't possibly be implying that my return had anything to do with that!”

Nevis shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to make eye contact.

Karadite reached across the bar and grabbed the startled dwarf’s face, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I would never do that, Nevis. Never. This is my home.” She held his gaze for several more seconds before releasing his chin and settling back in her stool.

The tension in Nevis’s body gradually evaporated, and he slumped away from her with a weary sigh. Incredibly, Karadite spotted a tear starting to form in his eye.

“You’ve no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that,” he said, his voice suddenly rough with emotion. “Everyone’s on edge right now. I only opened the bar today because the alternative was so much harder to bear.” He looked at her with a haunted expression. “You’ve never seen my home, have you? It’s a nice little place, just 5 levels from the reactor.”

Karadite understood his meaning. “How did it fare?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“Poorly.”

Karadite wasn’t sure he would say anything else, but she waited anyway.

“I don’t know if you know this,” he finally spoke, his voice still trembling, “but we dwarves have always had an instinctive preference for the lower levels. They’re not to most races' taste but we like having weight above our heads. We don’t care to be near the open sky.”

Karadite suddenly had an inkling of what Nevis was going through. The Starstone attack may have been terrifying for her, but for Nevis, his entire community had just been gutted. For all she knew, he was here now because the bar and his customers were all he had left.

Karadite stretched out her hand again. “I’m sorry” was all she said.

Nevis took the proffered hand in both of his and began sobbing in earnest. Karadite let him. She sat quietly while her friend spilled the heartache and tears he'd been holding back since the attack. Knowing Nevis, she doubted he'd let himself be this vulnerable with another soul in his entire life. Only the loss of so many friends and family all at once could've done this to him. So she could sit and just be there for him, if that was what he needed.

Once he had regained his composure, they sat alone in the bar and talked for a while, catching each other up on the events of the previous month. Karadite sipped at her tea occasionally while they chatted. She’d never seen a dwarf break down like that. She still wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“You never did tell me why the bar’s so empty,” she reminded him, circling back to her original question.

“Ah, that,” he said with a sigh. “You know this place has always been popular with the gangs. Tends to keep the genteel at a distance,” he said with a wry smile. “Never bothered me though. I made it clear they were welcome so long as they kept their peace while they were here. Neutral ground and all. But a couple days ago, some kind of struggle between the gangs broke out. All I know is that there’s something they all want, and none of them feel like sitting down together anymore, at least, not peacefully. Business has dried up.”

“You don’t know what they’re after?”

Nevis shook his head. “I’ve told you all I know, and I don’t even know if that much is true.”

Karadite frowned at this bit of information. “Well, maybe you can help me with something else then. I’m trying to find out more about the Starstone attack. I suspect the team might have hired a skilled computer hacker to help them. Any idea who they might have used?’

At her question, Nevis actually laughed. “Seriously? Karadite, if someone came to me looking for a skilled hacker, I’d send them to _you_! Why do you think I suspected you?”

Karadite was stunned. She’d considered herself decent at what she did, but by no means the best around.

“Well, er, thank you. But, seriously?” her words were stumbling out awkwardly.

“Geez, I assumed you knew.”

“Well, I mean, thanks.” She realized she’d just repeated herself. This had to be one of the highest compliments she’d ever received and she had no idea what to do with it.

“Listen,” Nevis continued, “if there's someone better than you, they're not available on contract. Of the ones on this station who are, you're in your own league. If this team did hire someone from the station, and it wasn't you, then take your best guess at whether you would've succeeded and cut it in half.”

“Half of zero is still zero,” Karadite replied.

“Then I don't know what to tell you,” he said with a shrug. Nevis’s tone became serious again. “Look, this drink’s on me. If you’re hunting down the bastards who did this, I’ll sleep a little better tonight. You just let me know when you get them, alright?” He was looking at her with desperate need when he asked this last favor.

Without thinking she simply said, “I will,” and knew she meant it. Nevis nodded his approval.

They made their goodbyes and Karadite headed back outside, still in disbelief at what had just happened, and not sure where to go next.

*******

Jian’chi and Nevaz had finally fallen asleep aboard their ship, the _Myriad_ , several hours after their battle with the Allips.

They were docked at the Starfinder Society’s private hangar, which had escaped any serious damage, unlike the docking bay they’d found themselves in the previous day.

The Starfinder Society’s dock, midway up Absalom Station, and technically part of The Spike, was a much smaller affair than the huge commercial docking bays around The Ring. Their ships were vessels of exploration, not transport. And they never had more than a handful docked at any time. More importantly, they never had more than a couple scheduled to land on any given day either. So when the EM pulse knocked out the engines of so many ships in the station’s immediate vicinity, there simply weren’t any on final approach for this docking zone.

Jian was poring over sensor data when Nevaz emerged from his sleeping quarters to begin his day.

“Any progress?” he asked.

“Some,” she answered, not bothering to turn away from what she was doing. “I had to pull the control board for the gravitational scanners though. The dock provided enough EM shielding to protect the nanocircuits themselves, but the rapid micro-fluctuations in ambient gravity during the implosion played holy hell with the interferometers. It’s basically junk now. But the data it got as it was being destroyed is pretty neat.”

This got Nevaz’s interest. “Really?”

“I can’t tell you what any of it means once the first interferometer in the array stops working, but maybe you can figure it out.” Jian tapped a few keys on the display and brought up the last 3 seconds of readings taken just before the instrument stopped functioning.

“How unusual.” Nevaz stared at the information. “I don’t even know how I’d model this, but you’re right, there’s definitely something here. I wonder if it could tell us more about what happened to the Starstone.” Nevaz mentally added this to his backlog of research projects.

Jian shrugged. “It’s worth looking into. Be nice if something good came out of this thing’s destruction, because I have no way to fix it. Every _other_ board on the station that could have replaced it got just as badly damaged. I’ve put in an order for a new one off-station, but we’ll have to go pick it up ourselves unless we’re willing to wait. The Syndicsguild prioritized emergency supplies and essentials over everything else. Regular commercial shipments won’t resume for 10 days.”

Nevaz sighed. “I won’t be surprised if we end up staying that long. I was just reading our new friend Arden’s article about the attack. Apparently, the Starstone has split in two. The Council never approved my petition to study it before, but now the urgency has increased immensely. It may well be that our discovery is essential to the continued survival of the station. If I can’t get access to the remains of the Starstone, I can’t know for sure.”

Jian frowned. “It’s dangerous on the station though. With the Allips…” she trailed off and shuddered. She finally turned from her sensor readings to face Nevaz directly. “If an Allip kills you, you’re not just dead.” She looked around, as if hunting for the right words. “Your soul, it’s, well, twisted, maybe even destroyed. Whatever’s left, it isn’t you. I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard about it from androids that have. I can’t imagine a more terrible fate. We shouldn’t stay here.” This last she said with a pleading look. Nevaz looked away, embarrassed.

“We’ll both need to be careful,” he said. “I have my sword, and if you stay here, most of the membership in the Society are skilled in combat. The Allips are dangerous, but they can be driven off. You should be safe here. Just... don’t go out alone.” Nevaz tried to sound more confident than he felt. He didn’t want her to worry.

“It’s really that important?” she asked him after a pause.

“It is,” he said, nodding.

She nodded back. “Ok. Do what you have to. I’ll stay with the _Myriad_ and fix as much as I can from here.” Jian brought the previous screen back up and resumed her study.

“Thank you for understanding,” Nevaz said gratefully. “And thank you for taking such good care of our ship.” He turned to go, but something on her screen caught his eye. He stopped and walked closer to see what she was working on. “What’s that spike there? I don’t recognize it.”

Jian pointed to the scans she’d been studying. “I have the matter composition scanner trained on that asteroid cloud a few light minutes from here. I’m comparing these readings with ones our scanners took a few days ago, and they’re mostly similar, but I’m also reading a strong signal for Calcium and Vanadium ions. The computer thinks it’s looking at deposits of a mineral like cavansite or pentagonite. I think it’s an error, but I’m not positive.”

“That’s odd. Is it possible a comet is passing through and we’re picking up readings from that?”

Jian shook her head, “I doubt it. The water content is steady with the previous reading. And I’ve never heard of any comet with those minerals.”

Nevaz shrugged, “Technically, I suppose a comet _could_ have any mineral, but the absence of ice on the scan is pretty telling. I’m inclined to agree, you’re probably looking at a calibration error. Still, you should check with the Starfinders. See if they’d be willing to train their sensors on the same coordinates and show you their data.”

“Good idea,” Jian said. She stood up and stretched her legs. “I’d been sitting there too long anyway. I’ve still got 6 other sensor suites to validate, but I could use the walk.”

“And the other systems?” Nevaz asked. “Are you confident they’re flight-worthy? I’d hate to find ourselves flying around with the finest sensors of any ship in the Pact, only to lose life support.”

Jian smiled. “Oh that’s right. That breathing thing you biologicals are always doing.”

“If it isn’t too much trouble, I mean,” Nevaz answered in mock apology.

“There’s the checklist,” Jian pointed at a tablet to her left. “Feel free to double check my work.”

Nevaz picked up the tablet and paged through the diagnostics she had already run. “Looks like Aristar’s old ship will live to fly again.”

Aristar was Nevaz’s former astronomy professor who had mentored him and helped him find his true potential as a young student. He had lent them his old ship to help in their exploration. The _Myriad_ was probably the last of her model, whatever that was. She had been built to reliably travel within the Golarian system, but had not been built to look good doing it. The only attempt at aesthetics the manufacturers had made had backfired: the once shiny red paint job had faded into an unsightly shade of orange-pink. Aristar had modified the ugly old ship, giving her a better sensor system than a ship her size had any right to have, a drift drive (source of 90% of her maintenance issues), and an impressive science lab. _And at some point, he’s going to want it back_ , Nevaz reminded himself.

“What are you planning to do next, Nev?” she asked him.

“I’d given that some thought, actually.” Nevaz continued idly looking over her work as he spoke. “My requests to research the Starstone directly haven’t been as fruitful as I’d hoped, but I still have one card I haven’t played.”

“Moley?” she asked.

“Exactly.”

Mollilitis was a bone sage from Eox, and a member of the Pact Council. He also happened to be Nevaz’s oldest friend.

“I had hoped to go through the official channels, but they still haven’t given me a straight yes or no answer. I can’t appeal ‘we haven’t decided.’” Nevaz was bitter. “I came here hoping that attitudes might have changed since the end of the war, but those pinheaded, pickle-munching bureaucrats can’t see me as anything other than a big dumb Vesk, and why in Heaven’s name would they ever agree to let me near their precious Starstone.”

“Pickle-munching?”

“I get hungry when I’m inventing insults.”

“Hey, you spent almost 2 months trying to do things the right way.” Jian shrugged. “Time to give nepotism a try.”

“We’re not related,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s just favoritism - far less corrupt.” He glanced down in thought. “Still, I didn’t want to put him in an awkward position before, but now it seems I have no other recourse. There are teams excavating towards the Starstone this very minute, and it is imperative that I be present when they break through. I'll never get another chance to study it in such a state.”

“Have you called him yet?” Jian asked.

“Actually yes.” Nevaz replied. “I’ve been trying to get through to him since last night, but no one at his office is answering my comms. I think it’s time I pay him a visit."

“Do you want me to come? You nearly died the last time I let you out of my sight.”

Nevaz smiled. “You’re welcome to join me, but I think you’re better off visiting the Starfinder Archives and continuing your own investigation.”

Jian shrugged, then grabbed her gear and belted it to her waist. She picked up the datasheet with her sensor readings and folded it into a pouch. Nevaz grabbed his pistol, then they walked down the gangway together.

*******

“Good luck,” Jian said as they reached Nevaz’s stop. The lift had been less crowded than usual.

“You as well,” Nevaz replied. Jian would continue up another level to the station surface, then head to the Starfinders, while Nevaz would travel from this floor to the Plenara, seat of the Pact Worlds Council.

He watched the doors shut, then pulled out his communicator one more time. He punched in the code to be connected to the Pact Council offices of Mollilitis. There was no answer. _Well, there hadn’t been one any of the other 10 times I tried_ , he thought grimly.

The lift had brought him to just beneath the Lorespire complex, home of the Starfinder Society. He checked the map on the wall across from the lift’s exit to figure out which tram he needed in order to reach the council building. _You’ve only ridden it half a dozen times,_ he teased himself _. Do you really still need to check the map each time?_

Navigating the enormous station was still a challenge, and as a nearly 8-foot tall Vesk, he tended to frighten people when he approached them to ask for directions, so he preferred not to need any, if at all possible. He studied the map and made sure he memorized the entire route. _At least it doesn’t look like I need to connect to a different line,_ he noted with some slight relief.

From the lift corridor to the tram station was a brisk 10 minute walk. This was one of the station’s more popular gaming districts, and as he walked, he remarked at how quickly humans seemed to have returned to their usual habits, even with the Starstone cracked and possibly dying far below them. Looking around, this far from the center of the damage, you’d never know that thousands of people were still missing, let alone that some of the dead had returned to attack the living.

Nevaz couldn’t decide if he admired or pitied their resilience in the face of such danger. He eventually chalked it up to their ignorance, but he envied them just the same.

The tram ride took another 10 minutes. He may have scared off the occasional fellow passenger, but he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice for a change. _Why hasn’t Moley answered? Has something been blocking my comms? Or is he aware I’ve been trying to reach him yet he’s intentionally avoiding me_?

With these dark thoughts to keep him company, he very nearly missed his exit. The automated voice announcing the Unity Plaza station had finished its second repetition by the time he heard it. He managed to leap from the tram just as the doors began to shut, bumping into a pair of bystanders on his way out. _Get your head together, idiot_ , he scolded himself.

At the station’s central hub, he disembarked and looked around for the exit point that would lead to the surface, directly below the giant transparent dome. He followed after a crowd of well-dressed professionals and emerged into the first sunlight he’d seen in just over a week. He stood blinking for a few seconds, as he adjusted. Then he spent a few more seconds looking around, enjoying the sensation of sunlight and open space.

In every direction he saw green trees evenly spread about lush grassy spaces. The dome had a blue hue to it. According to historians, this was to match the sky on long lost Golarion. Personally, Nevaz would’ve preferred the pinkish clouds of his childhood home on Triaxus, but he admitted the pure azure sky here had its charms.

In and among the little forests and parks were apartment buildings belonging to the station’s wealthiest residents, as well as office towers housing the headquarters of the Pact Worlds’ most valuable corporations. And straight ahead, down a lovely tree-lined walkway, was the imposing Plenara, seat of the Pact Worlds government.

Mollilitis had been too busy before to accept a social call from Nevaz, who for his own part had been suffering the opposite problem, finding himself far less busy than he should have been. Without direct access to the Starstone, he’d studied whatever texts he could get a hold of and held discussions with any available scientists who’d performed direct observations, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to learn what he was really after that way. In order to confirm his theory, he had to access the Starstone itself. There was just no other way to really be sure.

Nevaz sucked in a lungful of air, straightened his back, and marched determinedly into the council building.

The line to get through the security area moved quickly. Nevaz checked his gun with the guard at the entrance and downloaded his receipt.

“Just present that at the door on your way out to get your gear back, sir,” the tall Drow said with an air of polite indifference. Nevaz was pleased to finally meet a security officer on the station who didn’t keep his hand near his weapon the entire time they interacted with each other.

This was his first time in the council building, and he wasn’t sure what he should expect. The richly appointed halls showed off artwork from each of the member states of the Pact Worlds government. He lingered momentarily on a portrait from Triaxus, provided by a mission from the Drakelands. The artist had embedded tiny sensors into the canvas allowing it to react to a viewer’s attention. The subject of the piece, a majestic dragon, had scales that caught the ambient light and reflected it back in a thousand shades of copper and gold. And in each corner, a short animation began to play whenever the viewer looked at it, focusing on a different aspect of Drakelands culture - vignettes celebrating their courage, their mercy, their fellowship, and their honor.

He thought about his years of study and childhood in Ning, one of the minor nation-states on Triaxus, and one of the only nations that had refused to join the Pact when the opportunity first arose. It had been there that he had taught himself to speak the draconic language, and earned the title of Dragontongue. _Such a beautiful portrait_ , he remarked to himself, as he continued his walk down the hall.

The member offices occupied the entire second floor of the building. He tried his comm one last time without success before he entered the door designated for the Eoxian representative. _He had his chance to take my call, now he’ll just have to deal with me in person._

The outer office contained some chairs, presumably where people who had appointments could sit until Mollilitis was ready to greet them. And opposite the row of chairs was a desk with several monitor screens, occupied by what _looked like_ one of the security robots manufactured by Abadarcorp, but someone had covered the familiar blue and white livery with a formal suit, like the type humans sometimes wore at solemn occasions. Or joyous ones, for that matter. Nevaz had never understood the human habit of wearing the exact same outfit to a wedding or a funeral, but he could at least appreciate the practicality.

“*Can I Help You.*” The voice had clearly come from the robot, but it hadn’t moved its mouth. Or its head.

_What in the nine hells is this_? Nevaz wondered in mute horror. “Where is…” Nevaz searched his memory, “...Cataxia?” he finished, finally remembering the name of the Elebrian he’d met only twice briefly in the past year, and who would normally have occupied this spot.

“*Cataxia Is Not Available Please Leave A Message.*” The robot was off-putting, but Nevaz was still determined to see Moley.

“Nevermind. Is Mollilitis here?” Nevaz asked instead. “Tell him Nevaz is here to see him.”

“*Mollilitis Is Not Available Please Leave A Message.*” The robot seemed to be operating from an extremely limited set of canned responses. It had been illegal to program an artificial being with true sentience ever since the Android uprising had turned them into a free people of the Pact. But Nevaz thought that whoever had repurposed this security robot could surely have done a better job. This just reeked of laziness.

Nevaz suddenly wondered who could have approved this monstrosity. He was certain that Moley never would’ve. _Knowing Moley, if he needed a temporary replacement, he probably would’ve just stepped down to the morgue and re-animated some body._ Nevaz suppressed a chuckle imagining Mollilitis trying to get the bureaucrats at the Plenara to go along with such a plan, then turned his attention back to the robot.

“Is Mollilitis in his office or not?” Nevaz asked it.

“*Mollilitis Is Not Available Please Leave A Message.*”

That was the final straw. Nevaz walked over to the inner door and knocked on it. “Moley, it’s Nevaz. We need to talk!”

The robot spoke without moving its head again. “*Mollilitis Is Not Available Please Leave A Message.*”

Nevaz wasn’t even paying attention anymore. He tried the door handle. Suddenly the robot sprang from its position and rushed over to Nevaz.

“ _TRESPASS VIOLATION RECORDED. STEP AWAY FROM THE DOOR. THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING_ .” The robot held out an electric baton centimeters from Nevaz’s chest. _And that’s why they used a security robot,_ Nevaz thought, his heart suddenly beating rapidly.

Nevaz threw up his arms and slowly backed away from the inner office door. “Whoa! Easy! I’m stepping away,” he said quickly. The security/secretary robot returned to the desk chair with no apparent memory of what it had just done, immediately reverting to its previous personality.

“*Mollilitis Is Not Available Please Leave A Message.*”

Grinding his teeth, Nevaz thought quickly. What message could he leave that might get Moley to answer? After a moment, he had one he thought would do the trick. “I’d like to leave a message,” he said. What Nevaz had thought of as the robot’s mouth finally opened. Apparently it had a camera embedded in it. Nevaz didn’t know if that was standard in a security robot or not, but it only put him off for a moment before he recovered.

Nevaz faced the camera directly and started talking. “Moley, I’ve missed you very much. This station hasn’t kept me as busy as I had hoped. I’m getting bored, and if I don’t hear from you soon, I’m afraid I might start behaving badly.” The robot waited a few seconds to be sure Nevaz was done, then closed its mouth.

“*Message Recorded Thank You.*”

“When will Mollilitis be available?” Nevaz asked the robot.

“*Mollilitis Is Not Available Please Leave A Message,*” the robot answered helpfully.

With a grunt of frustration, Nevaz left the office and stomped back down to the exit. The tall Drow he had checked his gear with was still on duty when he got back to claim them.

“Did you have a productive visit?” he asked cheerfully.

“Hardly,” Nevaz muttered.

“It’s been pretty crazy around here, since the attack, you know.” the guard answered sympathetically. “What had you hoped to find?” he opened the locker with Nevaz’s gear and handed it back to him.

“I was hoping to meet with one of the councilors. The one from Eox.” Nevaz admitted.

“Oh him? I don’t think he’s been here in a few days. Did you try calling ahead first?”

“Must’ve slipped my mind,” Nevaz answered sarcastically.

“Oh well, come to think of it, that wouldn’t have really worked either. I didn’t program his secretary to answer comms. I mean I meant to, but couldn’t figure it out.”

Nevaz’s eyes suddenly bulged in surprise. “ _You_ programmed that thing? It nearly electrocuted me!”

The drow looked apologetic. “ _I_ didn’t program it to do that. It just goes off like that if it witnesses a crime.”

“But why do it at all?” Nevaz asked in bewilderment. “Where’s Cataxia, his secretary?”

“Oh you hadn’t heard about him? Yeah, he’s in the hospital. He was injured in the Starstone incident. Normally they’d make one of the security guards fill in when that sort of thing happens, but we’re short-staffed on account of everyone we lost down there ourselves. So they gave me that robot and an operator’s manual, and told me I could use that instead. I spent about 3 hours on him. Not bad, eh?”

Nevaz suppressed an angry retort, and took a calming breath. “It’s an interesting project,” he finally agreed. “But if you’d rather not electrocute some important visitor, you might want to program it with a warning to stay away from the door.”

The drow blanched and nodded soberly. “I’ll work on it some more during my next break.”

“Good idea,” Nevaz said, as he turned to leave. The drow looked like he was about to say something else, but then stopped and sat back down.

Nevaz thought he could hear him muttering something to himself, but didn’t give it any more thought as he left, letting the door close behind him.

*******


	4. Asking the Difficult Questions

Jian and the other lift passengers disembarked at the station surface; last stop before heading back down to The Spike. The Lorespire complex was an impressive sight - three buildings connected at different points by graceful bridges. Two of the buildings were built within the dome, while the third stood mostly outside it. The outermost building was taller than the other two. It had a main entrance inside the dome, then went straight up while the dome curved gently away. At the top was an observatory with, Jian hoped, an answer about what was going on with her own instrument.

Jian presented her identification to the security officer at the entrance, who made her check her weapon, then waved her through. A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened onto the Archives.

Jian stepped from the car and looked around, an expression of delight gracing her normally reserved face. The Archive’s Cortex filled a cavernous space 60 meters from end to end, 10 meters high. In every direction, rows of servers like library shelves ran perpendicular to the main pathway, stretching from the entrance to the far end of the hall.

Ever since joining the Starfinders, one of Jian’s great delights was walking into the Archives. She imagined it was what coming home felt like. All around her, soft indicator lights flashed to acknowledge the continued health of the nano-gel data matrices containing the sum of all knowledge the Starfinders had acquired. All data was backed up in redundant stores across different server racks. If one nano-gel matrix failed, it could be pulled out, replaced, and within seconds the data stored in the previous matrix would begin downloading onto the new one.

The dataphiles who operated the Archives had one of the most important duties of any member of the Starfinder Society - to preserve all of the knowledge their organization had acquired, sometimes at great cost.

The physical Archives were built sometime during The Gap. There had been some version of the Starfinder Society extending back into the past, but all the data that had been stored on the servers in those days had been lost when The Gap had erased memories, both biological and artificial, all across the galaxy.

The room was emptier than usual today. Jian supposed that in the aftermath of the attack, many Starfinders were engaged elsewhere. She recognized Simulation-4, one of the dataphiles she had worked with in the past, sitting at a terminal overseeing incoming data streams.

Jian walked over to her. “Greetings to you, Simulation-4,” she said formally.

“Greetings to you, Jian’chi,” the other android woman said in response. “What brings you to the Archives?”

“I’m having trouble with one of my ship’s sensors,” she replied. “My matter composition scanner has started producing an anomalous reading for the asteroid field approximately 140 light seconds from the station.”

“Anomalous in what way?” the other android asked.

“An unexpected concentration of Calcium and Vanadium ions that wasn’t there when I took a baseline reading a few days ago.”

“Before the Starstone attack,” Simulation-4 filled in.

“Right,” Jian agreed. “Several of my ship’s systems were damaged by the explosion, but the matter composition scanner seemed fine in every other respect. Before I tear it apart trying to find the source of the error, I wanted to be sure that the issue  _ is _ the sensor, and not evidence that the asteroid field at that position has actually changed.”

“I’m nearly finished with this data stream,” Simulation-4 said. “If you will wait 2 minutes, I can help you set up a scan from here. Our sensors installed at the apex of the Lorespire were mostly shielded from the explosive outburst, and if the matter composition scanner has been certified, we can use it to check your readings.”

“Thank you,” Jian said.

Simulation-4 returned to her task in silence. Jian waited patiently. She looked around the room, and noticed a small group had formed near one of the search terminals - likely a research team that was working on an investigation of some sort together. Most of the other terminals sat unused.

A few of the other dataphiles sat together in front of an open rack, peering at the data matrices inside it and carrying on a low discussion. The shape of the room made it difficult for sound to travel, and they were speaking quietly, so she couldn’t understand what they were saying - not that she was bothered by this, since it wasn’t her conversation. But it was a little unusual to see them apparently unsure what to do where maintenance on the Cortex was concerned.

“Alright, I can take a break for now.” Simulation-4 had finished her work and turned back to face Jian. “Follow me to the map room.”

Simulation-4 led Jian through one of the rows of servers and to a door at the end, labelled Maps. In the middle of the room was a low square table half as long as the room itself. The dataphile placed her hand on the table and said, “Golarion System.”

The space above the table transformed into a map of the entire system, with planets exaggerated in size, but otherwise in their proper relative positions from the sun. Jian showed her the datasheet with the precise coordinates of the scan, and Simulation-4 entered them into the interface. The map changed to show a view of just the arc of the system’s asteroid belt, labelled the Diaspora, that Jian had been scanning.

“Show matter composition analysis,” Simulation-4 said.

The map vanished. In its place was a matter composition scan similar to the one Jian had on her datasheet, but where hers showed a spike in Calcium and Vanadium, this graph showed a red error indicator.

“What does that mean?” Jian asked, pointing at the error.

“I’m not sure,” Simulation-4 replied. She touched the icon, and a message appeared. “Source data inconsistent,” was the heading. They continued reading.

According to the diagnostic, the data fed from the Lorespire sensor array was inconsistent with data being fed by the observation satellites nearest the asteroid field. Simulation-4 instructed the computer to ignore the data from the Lorespire sensor and just use the satellites. The resolution in the scan changed, showing less granularity and wider confidence intervals, but the mysterious Calcium and Vanadium signal disappeared.

“The sensors on the satellites aren’t as sensitive as the ones here on Absalom Station, but the fact that they agree with each other leaves me inclined to trust them.” Simulation-4 said, frowning in thought.

Jian compared her own readings with the ones from the station’s sensors again. “If the Starstone attack changed the background radiation signature of the station itself, that could be throwing off the sensor readings on both my ship and the Lorespire complex.”

“Yes,” Simulation-4 agreed. “And if the difference is slight enough, we might not have noticed it if our tests aren’t sufficiently comprehensive. We’ll have to scan the station again in order to recalibrate our instruments.”

“Glad to know it’s not just my ship,” Jian said with relief.

“I’ll start the scan right away,” Simulation-4 told her. “You can download it once you’re back on your ship and set your sensors to filter out the station’s new background signature.” She looked over the data again. “It has to have been an awfully slight change though. Good job for catching it. You must be quite thorough where your equipment is concerned, Jian’chi.”

Jian smiled at the compliment. “Thank you, Simulation-4. I try to do my best.”

Jian and Simulation-4 left the map room and returned to the Archive. The group they had seen gathered around the terminal had grown into a small crowd. Everyone seemed to be fixated on the search results. The two androids exchanged a look of curiosity and walked closer.

“Archive, show me data on commercial drift routes through the Azlanti Star Empire,” one of the assembled Starfinders, an elderly-looking woman, was saying.

“There it is again!” someone shouted.

On the screen, instead of the requested information, data on trade routes between cities of a nation called Kyonin had appeared.

“What’s going on?” Simulation-4 asked the assembled crowd. “Where is Kyonin? Why didn’t you get the data you asked for?”

A rush of excited voices all began answering her. She held up her hands, “please, not all at once.” She turned to the elderly woman who had made the query. “Why did it show you this information when you weren’t asking for it?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “But seemingly at random, perhaps every third or fourth query, the Archive will respond with information about Golarion, from before The Gap. And look at it! This isn’t the painstaking reconstruction we’ve been doing through archaeological study. This is highly-detailed information. It looks like it was recorded before Golarion was lost!”

Simulation-4 gasped in shock, “The lost data? But how would that even be possible? All that information was destroyed! Those old data matrices were completely wiped. And any that were here from that time have all been worn out and replaced over the years. Even if we had somehow uncovered a way to restore it, it wouldn’t be stored on any of the drives in the archive now.”

“I don’t claim to understand it, I’m just telling you what we’re seeing.” The old woman seemed as amazed as Simulation-4. Heads around them nodded, faces alight with eager curiosity.

Jian read the data to herself, marvelling at the possibility that she was somehow reading research that had been lost for over 300 years. She learned that Kyonin was the homeland of the elves on Golarion. The records included pictures of various cities in high-resolution. The data was focused on trading routes, due to the query it was brought up in response to, but the article taught her so much more. The capitol city was called Iadara, she learned. And the land itself included plains, forests, and mountains.

“Is all the information about this land, Kyonin?” Simulation-4 asked.

The elderly woman shook her head. “Not only Kyonin, no. But the common thread appears to be the ancient elves of Golarion. All the pre-Gap results deal with them in some fashion. For instance, while Kyonin wasn’t the only place they lived, it does seem to have been their primary homeland.”

_ Why would information about elves suddenly be showing up in the Archives _ ? Jian wondered in amazement. “We’re recording these entries each time they come up, aren’t we?” Jian asked the assembly.

A hand shot up. “I’ve been getting it all, yes,” said a man in the uniform of one of the dataphiles.

“Then let’s keep at it,” Jian said, smiling.

The crowd resumed their queries, throwing up an excited cheer each time another bit of lost data showed up. Questions about the why and the how could come later. For right now, Jian and the others were caught up with the thrill of discovery.

*******

It was nearly 11am when a series of shrill beeping tones finally roused Thohuko from his sleep. He’d been up late the previous night and slept in for longer than he’d intended.

After he’d dropped Lili off at her hotel, he’d come to The Arcanamirium and informed several of the xenophysicists about the fire elementals down in the rocket room. Working late into the night, they’d devised a means to safely transport them all the way from the rocket room up to the Arcanamirium, and then keep them safe once they’d arrived. They’d had to move them one at a time, and Thohuko had stayed with each one as it traveled, telepathically sending it reassuring emotions throughout the entire ordeal. They couldn’t understand his words, but they sensed his intentions and trusted him.

The effort hadn’t been easy, but it had succeeded. The fire elementals were finally safe.

He tried looking around for the source of the interruption, but it was too dark. His room at the Arcanamirium was small and windowless, with just enough space for a bed. Even after years of frequent space travel, he still wasn’t used to waking up in the dark. He could’ve had the wall lights simulate the effect of a creeping dawn, had he taken the time to program them the night before. But when he’d finally turned in at around 5am, he was too exhausted to figure it out.  _ Some technomancer  _ I  _ am, if being tired is all it takes to make me forget how to use basic tech _ , he thought to himself with an annoyed grumble.

He fumbled for the light switch, then remembered it was voice-activated. “Lights on,” he said in a groggy voice. The sudden brilliance startled him. He shut his eyes against their painful intensity. “Reduce brightness to 30%!” He opened his eyes again in the softer lighting and looked around for the source of the sound that had woken him.

The communicator was still chirping at him, lying where he had last used it the night before. He pushed a button to activate it, using audio-only mode to give him some privacy while he got dressed. “Thohuko here. Who’s this?”

A familiar voice came from the other end. “It’s Cheezy. I’m in real trouble here! I need your help!”

Thohuko stopped dressing and rushed over to view the projection. “Cheezy, what’s going on? Where are you?”

Cheezy was holding his communicator upside-down, so all Thohuko could see was the ground. He looked to be moving pretty fast, but Thohuko couldn’t tell much else. “It’s Allips!” Cheezy said in a panicked voice. “A whole army of them! I didn’t even see them at first, and then suddenly I was surrounded!”

A cold dread fell over Thohuko. He’d faced off against 3 the day before, with help, and using every last trace of mana he could muster. But a whole army? The best he could do against a threat like that was run, exactly as Cheezy appeared to be doing now. He forced himself to calm down so he could find out what was happening.

“Cheezy, talk to me! Are they chasing you? Is that why you’re running?”

There was a pause, and then the scene from Cheezy’s end shifted to another direction. Thohuko guessed Cheezy was looking behind him.  _ How long has the poor guy been running? _ he wondered.

“Um, no. I can’t see any. I think they’re gone now.” The relief in Cheezy’s voice was infectious.

“Good. That’s really good, Cheezy,” Thohuko said. “The Allips are dangerous, but they’re not fast. Where are you now? Are you someplace safe?”

“I don’t know,” he said pitifully. “I thought I was, but then I wasn’t. And you’re the only guy I knew who could go up against those things, so I called you.”

“But  _ where  _ are you?” Thohuko asked again.

“I’m not sure,” he answered. “I’m not sure how far I ran. I’m still down in The Ring somewhere, but I don’t know the area at all. I’m probably a kilometer or two from the bay where we first crashed.”

Thohuko found that odd, but didn’t say anything about it. _Had he been down there since yesterday_? “I’m at The Arcanamirium,” he said instead. “Think you can find it? You’ll be safe here.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I can do that.”

“Ok, Cheezy. I’ll be waiting for you in the main hall near the East entrance.” 

“Thanks, Thohuko,” he said gratefully.

“You’re welcome, Cheezy. I’ll see you when you get here.” Thohuko dismissed the call and finished dressing in the same outfit he’d worn the previous day. Then he quickly remade the room and gathered his possessions. He used a simple cantrip to clean his clothes and gave himself a quick inspection to be sure he was presentable.

He turned out the lights, then closed the door behind him and left his student quarters with hardly any evidence that anyone even lived there.

*******

The Arcanamirium was in a state of high activity when Thohuko walked into the main hall, and he was uncomfortably aware that it was probably his fault.

After telling the security personnel at the main entrance to let him know when Cheezy arrived, he’d gone inside to discover a scene of barely controlled chaos. A look at the decorations they’d prepared, including quite a lot of heat-resistant floor tile, several centimeters thick, gave him a pretty good sense of who they were getting ready to receive.

He was grateful to the technicians and researchers at the Arcanamirium for helping him devise and execute his plan to transfer the fire elementals. For as long as they were here, despite the continued confinement, they'd at least be comfortable. The plasma chamber they were currently occupying produced an environment similar to that experienced within a class G5 stellar body. 

But while Thohuko certainly appreciated that they were no longer in danger of dying from exposure, he had no intention of allowing the Arcanamirium to make them into prisoners, no matter how valuable their study might prove. So after retiring to the quarters he'd been provided with, just before he’d passed out in his bed, he'd made one very long distance call.

From the start, it had been obvious to him that the best chance of getting the fire elementals back to wherever they came from would require the assistance of the Burning Archipelago. He knew exactly one lashunta living there, but in this case, one was enough.

He and Shirova had met 4 years earlier when she’d passed through his hometown. She’d thought he seemed like a bright kid, and had shown him some basic technomancy exercises. When he’d shown an aptitude for it, she’d offered to introduce him to a friend of hers who would be willing to continue his education. He’d accepted, and the path she’d set him on had eventually led to his acceptance at the Arcanamirium. They hadn’t stayed in regular contact, but he’d heard from a mutual friend that she’d gone on to become a priestess with the Church of the Burning Mother in Asanatown.

The mysterious settlement known as the Burning Archipelago was unlike any other known to exist, nestled as it was in the corona of the Pact Worlds sun. It consisted of a network of magically-protected bubble cities that created a safe environment for terrestrial beings. Their discovery a century earlier had been a shocking revelation.

No one knew who had built the cities or how, but they had been empty when worshippers of Sarenrae, goddess of stars and suns, first discovered them. A wave of immigration followed shortly after, and the Sarenite church declared the bubble cities to be their holiest site.

For the majority of Sarenrae’s worshippers, the leaders of their order were located in Dawnshore, the largest of the bubble cities and home to the Radiant Cathedral. However, the Church of the Burning Mother in Asanatown, where Shirova lived and worshipped, was a separate sect with a sizable lashunta following.

Aside from the large number of pious Sarenite acolytes who inhabited the Burning Archipelago, it was home to centers of learning and technology, as well as a number of corporations. And most importantly for Thohuko, it contained portals allowing travel to and from the plane of fire.

Once he’d gotten hold of Shirova and told her about the fire elementals that had arrived on Absalom Station, she’d promised to raise the issue with a delegation of fire elementals friendly with the church. She'd assured him that together they would try to find the means to transport the ones on the station back to the Burning Archipelago, and from there to the plane of fire.

He’d gone to sleep hoping she’d have an answer for him soon, but apparently she’d been able to arrange things more quickly than he would’ve believed possible, judging by the frenzy taking place now.

“I have an announcement,” a young man called out from the middle of the hall. He was neatly dressed, but frazzled, and he carried a datasheet that appeared to show real-time flight tracking data. “The dignitaries will be arriving shortly. Their craft just transitioned into real-space and began its deceleration burn. They’ve been granted priority access to one of the emergency docks and should be on-station in the next 20 minutes.” 

This information triggered a wave of excited murmurs throughout the gathered crowd of researchers and faculty. The man who had delivered it headed quickly for the exit. A few seconds later, Thohuko could just manage to hear him giving the same announcement in one of the courtyards.

“Ah, there you are,” a female lashunta was walking briskly in his direction. She was taller than he was and moved gracefully through the crowd to greet him. He had met her for the first time the evening before. She was one of the professors of Astral Physics, and had helped convert the lab for use by the elementals. “Your friends in the lab have become quite the celebrities!”

“Hello again, Kaialah,” he said cordially. “Care to fill me in?”

“It seems word reached the Burning Archipelago about the fire elementals you rescued,” she said. “And now they’ve sent a delegation to meet with them and bring them back.”

“That was fast!” he said in all sincerity.

“Yes it was. We assume they saw an article by that journalist you met during your ordeal in the docking bay.” She rolled her eyes up at the ceiling, “Who would’ve imagined he had readers on the sun!” She dismissed the matter with a wave and moved on. “Of course we’re a little disappointed we won’t get to spend more time with them here. We still haven’t quite figured out how to communicate with them, but they’re giving off the most remarkable readings!”

“How do you mean?” Thohuko asked.

“Well, our research on fire elementals has been almost exclusively limited to ones from our own star, as I’m sure you can understand.” She pulled a datasheet from a coat pocket and activated it. It lit up with what Thohuko recognized as a spectrographic analysis. “What we’ve known for some time is that solar activity is closely correlated with the spectra of both our star itself and the fire elementals who reside on it.”

Thohuko looked at the data sheet with interest. “Are you saying that these fire elementals aren’t like the ones we’ve encountered before?”

She nodded. “You’re probably familiar with the fact that the sun goes through its own solar weather cycles, where some years there will be hardly any sun spots and then in others there will be a lot.” Thohuko nodded and motioned for her to continue.

“Well it turns out that fire elementals have similar behavior, and it’s tied to that same solar cycle.” Thohuko had never heard this before and listened with interest as she continued.

“Fire elementals are constantly giving off light, and, for example, their spectral signature will produce greater luminosity in the 550-600 nanometer wavelengths when the sun moves to a more active sunspot phase, and greater luminosity in the 600-650 nanometer wavelengths when it’s in a less active phase. The correlation between our star and the elementals is so strong, we’ve been able to develop a model that can predict any given fire elemental’s electro-magnetic spectrum to within 1% of its actual result, just using solar observations taken over the previous 6 months prior to measuring it.”

“So the ones I brought with me don’t do that?” Thohuko asked.

“Well I don’t know if they do or not,” she said. “But they don’t match the spectral signature we would have predicted based on measurements we’ve taken of our star.”

“So you think they’re from another solar system?”

“That’s the possibility that seems to be the most likely,” she said, nodding.

“That’s incredible!"

“I know, right?!” Kaialah put the datasheet back in her pocket. “I thought it was amazing that they appeared on the station at all, but to have come from that far away, that’s insane! The idea that they could have been teleported all the way here - I wouldn’t have thought it could be done!”

Thohuko pondered it himself. “You did say ‘the possibility that seems most likely.’ Were there other hypotheses?”

She nodded, “A couple, yes. It’s not impossible that they really do come from our star, but it would require that they either be from a different time, since the sun will inevitably cycle into a period of activity that would match their spectral pattern. Or, they could have been magically altered somehow, possibly by whatever process brought them to the station. At this point, we can’t discount any of these scenarios without more study.” She frowned at that last thought. “But that’s one thing it appears we won’t be able to do.” She sighed. “Well, I’d better go back to helping with the preparations.”

Thohuko felt his first twinge of guilt. He was still glad to be helping them return to  _ a _ plane of fire, even if he was no longer sure it was  _ their _ plane of fire. But as a researcher himself, he could understand how disappointed she was not to be able to solve this puzzle in front of her. He pondered for a bit as she waved good-bye and started walking back the way she’d came.

“Wait,” he called to her. “Kaialah, you said you still hadn’t figured out how to communicate with them. Did you try speaking draconic?”

Kaialah put a hand on her hip and cast an annoyed look back in his direction. “Well of course we did! They don’t answer. They don’t even seem to acknowledge that we’re talking to them.”

“There was a scholar with us,” Thohuko replied, jogging over to her. “I told you about him - Nevaz? He was able to get them to answer simple yes or no questions. Would it help if I sent for him?”

She pondered this offer. “He won’t have much time to get here, but it couldn’t hurt to ask him. The delegation from the Burning Archipelago will be here in - ,” she checked her wrist display, “33 minutes.”

“I’ll call him right now,” Thohuko said, activating his personal communicator.

She flashed him a warm smile. “Then I’ll start writing down questions we’d like him to ask.” She left in a brisk jog. Thohuko saw her excitedly grab one of her colleagues and they hurried into one of the adjacent conference rooms together.

Thohuko’s communicator indicated his comm had been accepted. Nevaz’s face floated in space in front of him a moment later.

“Hello? Thohuko, is that you?” he asked.

“Yes Nevaz, it’s me. How you been?”

“Not ideal,” he admitted. “I’m trying to continue my research on the Starstone, but the bureaucracy keeps getting in my way. What’s going on?”

“Well, I was hoping you could do me a favor,” Thohuko said.

“Oh? What did you have in mind?” Nevaz asked.

“Those fire elementals we rescued are with me at the Arcanamirium, and the researchers are trying to communicate with them, but they’re having some trouble.”

“The Arcanamirium? Really? How’d you manage that?” Nevaz sounded impressed.

“I’m a student,” he answered simply. “The reason I came to Absalom Station was to study here. After you left yesterday, I had the thought to see if they might be able to provide better accommodations.”

“Well done,” Nevaz congratulated him. “I must confess I was so focused on my research that I hadn’t gone any further in my own plans to aid them. I’m very glad you took the initiative. But what were you saying about trouble communicating? Don’t they have at least one or two professors there fluent in draconic?”

“Yeah, they’ve tried that,” Thohuko said. “But they’re not answering. I was hoping you’d be willing to give it a try. Maybe they just like you better.”

Nevaz made an expression of amusement. “I would be happy to try. I don’t know what I’d say to them though. I wasn’t able to learn very much with the simple yes or no questions I asked last time.”

Thohuko smiled, “Don’t worry about that. I think the researchers here will have an entire flowchart for you to follow. Just see if they’ll respond when you ask them, ok?”

“It will be my pleasure,” he said. “I’ve never been to the Arcanamirium. I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’m actually in the neighborhood already, so you can expect to see me shortly. See you soon.”

“See you.” Thohuko agreed, then ended the call. Now he had two visitors to look forward to.

*******

Sitting in a wet tree branch for the past 20 minutes had been less comfortable than Lili had imagined. The strange woman she’d seen in the distance had been led away several minutes earlier, and Lili was still trying to decide whether she was going to try and follow.

She weighed her options. If she stayed here, they might come back this way. But then again, they might not. If she tried following along in the branches, her next close call might actually involve her falling. That didn’t sound enjoyable at all. And in none of these cases would she actually get to  _ meet _ the strange woman, which after all had been her true aim the entire time.

_ I could climb down and pretend to have been in the garden all along _ , she thought to herself.  _ Probably wouldn’t work though _ . Lili knew perfectly well that there were cameras everywhere, even if she couldn’t see them. As soon as she stepped onto the path, someone somewhere was surely going to notice her. She could at least present her hotel reservation as evidence that she wasn’t, strictly speaking, “trespassing”. But she doubted it would stop them from kicking her out once they caught her.

In the end, she decided that anything was better than staying where she was. She secured her rope around the trunk of the milkwood and carefully descended to the path below.

Trying to act casual, she walked briskly in the direction the others had disappeared. It was still a beautiful garden, and there was a pleasant breeze blowing through the leaves now. She’d nearly let herself relax when an angry voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Hey you! Stop what you’re doing and get back here!” A man wearing the uniform of hotel security was jogging toward her, yelling for her to stop. Three others were beside him, keeping pace. Lili panicked and started running in the opposite direction, still heading for the spot she’d seen the others disappear.

There was a small hill up ahead, with a grove of trees sprouting out of it. The path twisted to the left. Lili ran around the bend until she thought she was out of sight of the guards, then turned off the path and ran around the other side of the hill, keeping it between her and her pursuers. The trees here had enough space between them that she could keep running without crashing into any. Except for the dirt and moss beneath her feet, she almost felt like she was still on a path.

From a distance, she heard the guards continue following the path she’d been on. But she had no plan for what to do next. It wasn’t as though she could stay in the garden. Of course they’d find her eventually.

“Where’d she go?” someone yelled.

“She must have turned off the path!” another called back. “Contact the main office and have them start reviewing the footage.”

_ Yeah, this isn’t going to work out well for me _ , she thought with a wince. She had maybe another 2 or 3 minutes before she was marched back to an office somewhere and unceremoniously sent away with her few belongings and a warning never to come back.  _ It could still be worth it if I got a chance to meet that alien woman _ , she told herself stubbornly.  _ Where could she be? _

“What the hell?” *oof*

She almost didn’t notice the security guard before she knocked into him. He’d stepped out from behind a tree without warning. Lili made to apologize, but then suddenly realized that this was the guard who had been talking to the strange woman earlier. Behind him, in the middle of a grove of trees where it wouldn’t have been visible from the garden path, was the unmistakable shape of an elevator with its doors still open. Without thinking, she jumped inside just as the doors began to close.

“Hey! You can’t be in there!” The guard had regained his feet and was hurrying to get in the elevator with her. Lili found a button and pushed it, not knowing or caring what it was.

The doors shut the rest of the way, and she suddenly felt her stomach drop as the elevator began descending rapidly. She had no way to tell how fast she was going or how far. Lili looked around and made a closer study of the elevator car she was in. It was small - perhaps four people could fit inside comfortably. The design was functional, bordering on utilitarian rather than the opulent affairs the other elevators she’d seen at the Hanging Gardens Hotel had been. She assumed the plain metal box she was in was never intended for guests, but probably for maintenance staff, though as to what sort of maintenance, she hadn’t the slightest inkling.

With a lurch, the elevator slowed and then stopped.  _ Time to find out what’s out there _ , she told herself.

The doors opened on a scene from another world. She knew she couldn’t have literally left the station, but somehow, outside the elevator there was an entire forest, dimly lit, but with enough light to see her way. She looked around her in bewilderment.  _ How could they have built this? _ she wondered.

Thinking quickly, she grabbed a nearby branch and used it to stop the doors from closing. She didn’t know if there was another way down, but she wanted to avoid being at someone else’s mercy when deciding when to go back up. Examining the elevator, she didn’t see a call button, but she saw a scanner of some sort on a panel next to it.  _ Whoever comes down here is trapped unless they have something, a badge perhaps, to activate that panel _ , she reasoned.  _ Is the woman a prisoner then, or did they give her her own badge _ ?

Lili walked further out onto a path leading away from the elevator doors. The trees on either side of her were unfamiliar. They were tall, with wide branches high above her. Their bark had an almost fur-like texture to it. Most curious of all, where they should have had leaves, they instead had thin needles. Beneath them, a carpet of millions of these needles lay in soft piles. She continued walking.

Coming into a clearing between the strange needle trees, she saw source of the light - a yellow circle projected high above on the ceiling, along with a field of stars. She guessed the ceiling to be almost 100 meters high, but the projection was done so well it really did give the illusion of a sky at night on some unfamiliar world.

She checked herself and realized - no, not an unfamiliar world at all. The star patterns were similar to the ones she’d seen at night on her homeworld. These were the stars you’d see on any world of the Golarion system. It was only the moon that made it seem unfamiliar. She’d never seen one quite like it before. It was gray and pock-marked, with a darker line near the bottom, almost like a scar. It was alien to her, yet strangely beautiful.

The trees on the other side of the clearing were different than the ones she’d found at first. They had thin wispy branches that fell down like hair, covered in soft, tiny leaves. She ran her hand through some of them and smiled at the pleasant sensation. She’d dreamed of traveling the vast emptiness of space in search of new life, and here she was, surrounded in every direction by strange plants in the unlikeliest place imaginable.

“Excuse me,” a soft voice behind her made her turn around. “Are you lost too?”

The speaker looked to be a woman about her own age. She had a soft, melodic voice that was almost a whisper, yet still clear. Her almond-shaped eyes were set above a small nose and a sharp chin. Most unusual were her ears, which tapered to a point roughly 10 centimeters above their base. Altogether the effect gave her a peculiar angled look, but not an unpleasant one. Lili thought she was actually quite pretty. But more importantly, standing before her was the person she had been hoping to meet all along.

“I’m not lost,” Lili answered, smiling. “I actually came here hoping I’d get a chance to meet you.”

The woman laughed. “You wanted to meet me? What makes you think I’d want to meet  _ you _ ?” The question was mocking, but delivered full of humor, not cruel. Lili felt emboldened to push forward.

“I’ve always believed that the best way to meet a new species is to begin with respect and a genuine desire to learn about each other,” Lili explained. “I’m so happy that you’ve decided to come here, and with your permission, I’d like to learn more about your culture and teach you what I can of our own.”

“What do you mean?” The woman’s voice lost all its earlier humor. “New species? Are you telling me you’ve never met an elf before?”

Lili was stricken with shock. She truly  _ hadn’t  _ ever met an elf before, but with good reason. After The Gap, most elves had formed their own private communities, shunning all outsiders. Only the drow had continued to engage with the other races. What few other elves ever ventured beyond their own borders were barely approachable, and rarely spoke to anyone outside their kind. They certainly wouldn’t have come up and so openly introduced themselves.

Lili, to her credit, recovered quickly. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You’re the first I’ve ever spoken with. So few elves ever venture beyond their settlements, and the ones who do almost never mix with the other races. My name is Lilin Arn (most people call me Lili), and I’m very pleased to meet you.”

The woman still seemed taken aback by Lili’s remarks. “My people roam every corner of Golarion,” she said with confusion. “How can you possibly describe us as such isolationists?”

_ Golarion! _ Lili didn’t know what to say. She knew that her own race as well as the elves, dwarves, and several others, had originated on Golarion, but it had vanished long ago. Some thought it had vanished at the same time that history had been lost to The Gap, while others believed it had gone missing at some point during those lost millennia. All she knew was that no living person, anywhere, was supposed to have any memory of Golarion, and here was this elf describing an aspect of its culture that she could not possibly have known. No one could have!

Several seconds of silence had passed since the elf had spoken, and she was staring intently at Lili, waiting for her to answer.

“How can you know Golarion?” she finally stammered. “It’s been missing since The Gap!”

The woman made an expression as though Lili had gone utterly insane. “Missing? What are you talking about? We’re on Golarion right now! Where else would we be?”

*******

Karadite was back in her apartment, cradling Fuzzy in her lap. Fuzzy purred contentedly while she slowly stroked her, lost in her own thoughts.

The meeting with Nevis still had her feeling strange. She’d never expected anyone to either accuse her of the attack or pour so much emotion out onto her, and in the space of an hour, he’d done both. As if  _ her _ shoulder had ever wanted to be cried on.

She’d never been skilled at reading the emotions of others, though in fairness, few others could read her either. But the experience had galvanized in her the sense that finding whomever was responsible for the attack was now bigger than just taking revenge for her own sake. She had a real community here that she was a part of, even if she’d never felt that strongly about it before. They had been attacked, and she had a duty to avenge them.  _ I  _ will  _ keep my promise to you, Nevis _ , she told herself firmly.  _ This is my home, and whoever attacked it  _ will  _ answer for it _ .

She turned her thoughts back to the attack itself. She had a vague notion that someone in the gangs might have helped as a lookout, even if she was now convinced they hadn’t needed a hacker after all. No plan that size ever got carried out without some sort of groundwork. At the very least, they had to have scoped out the Starstone’s maintenance team, just to figure out what to do with their mysteriously-valid credentials once they’d somehow acquired them.

But that wasn’t the sort of information you could just walk up to a person and ask for. So she put herself in their shoes. How had they learned about the procedures for accessing the Starstone?

She smiled darkly. Well, if it were  _ her _ she knew exactly how she’d do it - she’d kidnap one of the maintenance workers and torture them for the information.

Karadite stopped and considered this again. What if they’d actually done that? It couldn’t have been that long ago if they had. They would’ve had to be sure that the information they’d gotten was still accurate, and if they’d done it just before the attack, the technician, whoever they were, might not have even been reported missing yet. A maintenance worker going missing would’ve been the surest way to put security on high alert and likely get themselves caught. So, the question before her was whether there were any technicians who’d gone missing a day or two before the attack.

_ Ok _ , she thought.  _ It’s a hypothesis, now how would I test it _ ?

Again, if it were her, she would’ve just killed the poor tech, whoever it was, to prevent them from ever identifying her and their team. But that wasn’t necessarily a dead-end. Even a dead body could provide clues, for instance where it was found could be helpful in tracing their movements around the station. And if the perpetrators had left any DNA either on the body or at its last location, she could learn a lot more, possibly even the identities of some of the team members.

She decided she’d check the morgue for any bodies picked up shortly before the attack, and do a cross-check to see if any of them had a connection to the Starstone maintenance team.

Fuzzy meowed in a weak protest as Karadite set her aside. She walked to a wall and touched her hand to the secret panel she’d installed there shortly after moving in. Normally there’d have been a bookcase to move aside, but the gravity pulse had had other plans for it. She frowned again thinking about all the stuff she’d have to replace.

The panel slid aside, revealing her personal computer. Technically, with the way she’d customized her communicator, she could do most of her hacking activities with that alone, but there were a few things that the extra security and processing power of a proper computer were simply better at.

She set the computer on the floor where the table used to be and authenticated herself to its satisfaction. Then she connected it to her neural port and closed her eyes. It hummed to life quietly and projected an interface directly into her mind.

Karadite had, some time ago, discovered a common flaw in the operating systems used by most of the station’s authentication servers. She’d created guest accounts on several of them, and then promoted those accounts to administrators by duplicating the authorization records of actual administrators and pasting them into her own. The flaw had eventually been fixed, but she’d used her admin access to erase any record of how she’d elevated her accounts, so they hadn’t found them to revoke their permissions. And even if they had found one, each account was protected by automated subroutines she’d left behind that would restore access any time they were downgraded or disabled.

As plenty of network admins had discovered, once she was in a system, it was nearly impossible to get her out of it. She smiled as she saw that, once again, her root access was still in effect. The private database for the station’s entire medical system was now her obedient servant.

She began her search by going through the intake records at the morgue, hoping to find a body that had been turned in shortly before the attack. Most of the deaths recorded in the days prior were run-of-the-mill: A couple of accidents that she looked at in closer detail, but discarded as ultimately unsuspicious, and then the usual diseases of old age.

Of course, once the Starstone attack had taken place, the intake records became much more numerous. She put herself back in the shoes of the attackers. If it were her, she’d have looked for a place to hide the body that was close enough to the Starstone that, unless someone found it before the attack, would be unlikely to be recovered until well after it. But she wouldn’t want to leave it so close that it would be spotted by the security teams that regularly patrolled around the Starstone. It was a tricky balance, but she supposed some of the areas a floor or two above the Starstone probably had some hiding places like that.

_ Well, if that’s where the body is, it’s still among the missing _ , she thought bitterly. It had seemed like a good plan, but she hadn’t found anything, and she had no way of knowing whether that was because her premise was wrong, or because the body was so well disposed of that it would never  _ be _ found.

Another thought struck her. If the team had kidnapped someone, tortured them for information, and then  _ left _ them to die without actually killing them, maybe someone had managed to get that person to a hospital. It would’ve been a sloppy move, and this didn’t seem to be a team that had been sloppy at anything, but she was already in the medical system’s database, so it was simple enough to check.

Karadite ran a new search, looking for admissions right before the attack. To her shock, she found what she was looking for right away. A human named Ernest Hammond had been admitted by an anonymous do-gooder just moments before the attack. He was employed with the maintenance team, and from his injuries it looked like he’d been badly tortured. He had bruises consistent with a vicious beating, and electrocution burns.

Her excitement turned into disappointment as she read his prognosis. His condition was stable, but his higher brain function wasn’t likely to recover for a long time, if ever. Even if he’d been the one they’d tortured, it was unlikely he’d be providing an eyewitness account that could help her hunt them down.

Well, she’d found a clue at least. And if there was anyone who might be able to get information from a damaged mind, it was a mystic who literally interviewed people for a living.

“Open a channel with Arden Finder,” she told her comm.

After a moment, Arden’s face appeared in the air in front of her. “Arden here,” he said.

“Meet me at Absalom General Hospital,” she told him. “I’ve found someone you need to talk to.”

*******


	5. Chasing Answers

 

Nevaz stepped off the tram and walked up the steps leading to the station’s exit. When he reached the surface, he found himself standing under a grove of trees just outside the Arcanamirium. To his right were gleaming buildings belonging to the prestigious university, with real stone walls, decoratively carved, placed all around them. Nevaz supposed the extravagance was also practical, as the walls forced people through the intended entrances, and kept vehicles from using the pedestrian paths. But whatever the reason, it was certainly impressive.

He located the main entrance and walked toward it, squinting as he left the shade of the trees. The guard at the doors looked nervous when he approached. Not a good sign. Nevaz hated it when they got nervous.

“Stop right there,” the guard called out. Nevaz was still 10 meters away. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”

Nevaz sighed, but knew better than to disobey. “Yes officer.” He raised his hands.

“Do you have any weapons?” the officer asked, his own already drawn, but fortunately not aimed at Nevaz just yet.

“Yes officer,” Nevaz answered in his politest tones. "I have a pistol holstered by my right hip."

The officer tapped a communicator with his left hand, still holding his weapon in his right, “This is officer Pike requesting backup at the East entrance.”

Nevaz did not like the way this was proceeding. “If I may,” he began, “I’ve been invited here to assist in efforts to communicate with some fire elementals.”

Officer Pike pointed at him. “Do not move. I’m having someone come to remove your weapon, and then you’ll be permitted to enter the facility.”

Nevaz sighed, “I’m perfectly capable of removing the pistol myself and leaving it in your keeping.” He began lowering his hands.

Officer Pike was suddenly aiming directly at his heart. “Put your hands back up, NOW!” he yelled, making it clear that Nevaz’s life was suddenly at stake if he failed to comply.

_ What the hells _ ? Nevaz thought in alarm as he shot his hands back up. His heart was racing. First the security robot, now this guard - this day was beginning to develop a disturbing theme. He’d had nervous guards to deal with on Absalom Station before, but this one was far and away the worst he’d ever encountered (and if he wasn’t careful, the last).

Another guard came out of the building and walked over to Pike’s side. “What’s the matter, John? He threaten you or something?”

“He has a pistol. I need you to disarm him while I cover you,” Officer Pike supplied.

“Cover me?” the other officer asked. “Easy there, big guy. I think he can take off his own weapon.”

“But he’s a vesk,” Pike replied. “He might be dangerous.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” the second officer answered. “I can also see he’s wearing a scholar’s robe and is coming through the front entrance. And with the Allip situation, they’ve been telling pretty much everyone to carry a weapon when they travel. We should at least be open to the possibility that he’s just going about his business and we shouldn’t keep him from it.”

Nevaz was still terrified, but the other officer seemed to be calming the first one down. “Fine,” Pike said half-heartedly. “You there, unhook your weapon belt and hold it out to Officer Marcus.” He lowered his gun to aim at the ground. He did  _ not _ re-holster it, however.

Moving slowly, Nevaz did as instructed. Officer Marcus shook his head sadly as he walked over to collect it. “Sorry about that,” he said softly. “He’s jumpy.”

“So I noticed,” Nevaz answered, his heart still pounding. “He’s going to kill someone if he doesn’t learn to calm down. My gods, I thought I was about to die when you showed up!”

Marcus winced, then carried the weapon belt over to the first officer. “Put your gun away,” he said to Pike. “This guy’s not a threat. Give him a receipt for his weapon and let him inside. Geez man, get a hold of yourself.” At this, Marcus went back inside.

Pike made a sour expression, but he catalogued the pistol and handed back the belt, then he prepared the receipt and allowed Nevaz to download it. “Tell the receptionist who you’re here to see,” he said, pointing at a desk just inside the entrance. “Have a good day, sir.” This last was almost too much for Nevaz to bear, but he said nothing and walked inside.  _ Some days I  _ really _ hate this place _ , he thought to himself.

******

Nevaz was waiting at the receptionist’s desk when Thohuko and Kaialah came to collect him.

Thohuko made brief introductions. “Nevaz, this is Kaialah. Kaialah, Nevaz.”

“A pleasure,” Nevaz said in greeting.

Kaialah smiled, “Likewise. We’re very eager to see if you can help us.” She directed them both to follow her.

“Did you find the place easily enough?” Thohuko asked.

“Yes.” Nevaz answered. Thohuko thought he looked as though he might say more, but the moment passed and the vesk remained silent.

They walked through the main hall and back outside, heading into the campus. All around them were students and staff of the various Pact races, walking between the assorted university buildings - tall and imposing structures for the most part. Between the buildings were grassy open spaces interspersed with trees, and not far away, the Arcanamirium campus butted up against the famous park at the center of The Eye. Looking around, Thohuko thought it all looked rather nice by the light of day. 

Kaialah led them to a low, windowless building. Unlike the others, it was dark, almost to the point of being black. “This is where we house our high energy labs,” she explained. “The building is fire and blast-proof." She smiled ironically. "Any mistake you make in there,  _ stays _ in there.” Thohuko noticed Nevaz’s interest begin to perk up.

“And what manner of experiments do you do here?” Nevaz asked her.

“Anything that needs a controlled environment simulating extreme conditions,” she said. “So if, say, you needed to test whether plasma generated by a star is capable of conducting magical current, you’d come here.”

“What, seriously?” Nevaz suddenly exclaimed. “That was a groundbreaking study! Was this where it originated?”

Kaialah looked pleased at his response. “The original observations were done at the Burning Archipelago, but there was a lot of interference that researchers there couldn’t cancel out, so we looked at their data and tried to set up a repeatable trial here, to see if there was really something to it. I guess you know the rest.”

Nevaz nodded in apparent awe, but said nothing as he looked at the building again with new appreciation in his gaze. Thohuko had no idea what they were talking about, but was glad that Nevaz finally seemed to be enjoying his visit.

They came to the entrance. Kaialah pressed her hand to a small panel and the doors opened.

She led them down a long corridor with doors on either side, spaced every 5 meters or so. Thohuko hadn’t had a chance to appreciate the place the previous night, when he’d been helping transport the elementals. Everything was clean, orderly - almost antiseptic. It suited his tastes nicely.

At the end of the corridor, Kaialah stopped at a red door marked, “Plasma Lab 08.” She opened the door and showed them inside. The room was large, and had a high ceiling.

Taking up most of the room was a cube, about 4 meters to a side, with a door built into it that looked like it might be used for a high-security vault. The door and walls were made of a material Thohuko had only ever seen once, during the previous night. They were solid black with a mirror-smooth polish, but cast no reflection in any light. The cube looked almost like a hole in space. A tiny window in the door allowed a viewer to look inside.

"So we discussed this while we waited for you," Kaialah said, addressing Nevaz. "We want to see if they'll respond if Thohuko here sends your words telepathically, relating your tone as closely as possible, the same way you did with the journalist yesterday. That way, we won’t have to take them out of the chamber, which would require de-activating it."

“It takes a long time to get it turned back on,” Thohuko explained.

"Ok," Nevaz agreed. "Just tell me what questions you want me to ask."

Kaialah positioned herself by the window where she could see the fire elementals waiting within. "First thing, please ask them if they'd raise their arms if they're willing to answer a few questions."

Nevaz gave Thohuko the phrase in draconic, and Thohuko sent it to the fire elementals inside, keeping the phrase sounding as much like Nevaz as he could.

Kaialah shrieked in surprised delight. "It's working! They're raising their arms."

Thohuko smiled. Up until now, he hadn't actually expected the plan would work. He looked over at Nevaz and saw that the vesk was grinning as well. “Next question?” he asked Kaialah.

Kaialah consulted her notes. “Let’s see if we can determine anything about the manner in which they came here. Thohuko tells me you already confirmed they were in the Plane of Fire before they arrived on the station. Please ask them if they had ever left the Plane of Fire before yesterday.”

Nevaz gave Thohuko the proper phrase, who once again passed it along. Three of the fire elementals raised their arms. Kaialah jotted down the response.

“Right,” she said, looking up the next question on her flowchart. “Ask if they’ve ever been summoned away from the Plane of Fire.”

This time, two of them raised their arms.

“Interesting! Ok, please ask if what happened to them yesterday felt like a summoning.”

No arms went up.

“Ok, that was just one possibility. Ask them whether they’ve ever intentionally left the Plane of Fire by means of a portal.”

The remaining elemental who claimed to have left the plane before raised its arms.

Kaialah jotted down the new answer, and followed up. “Did the transit yesterday feel like going through a portal?”

Inside the chamber, no arms were raised.

Kaialah made a disappointed sound. “Well, ask if it felt like anything any of them had ever experienced before, but I suspect we already know the answer.”

Once again, no arms went up.

“They can’t tell us what they don’t know,” she sighed. “Let’s move on to a different line of questions. We'll try to establish if they're from this solar system or another one. Ask them if they’re all from the same star.”

The elementals raised their arms.

“Ok, that’s a yes,” she said, “Now ask if they know how many planets orbit their star."

The same elemental who claimed to have traveled through a portal was, once again, the only one with its arms up.

"We're in luck!" she told the others. "Our portal hopping friend says yes!" She looked directly at that one and asked, "Does your sun have 10 planets around it?" 10 being the number of planets around the Pact Worlds star, Thohuko noted.

Nevaz and Thohuko relayed the message. The elemental held its arms at its sides.

"Hm, guess not," Kaialah remarked. "So not from around here. Ask if it has more than 10."

The elemental raised its arms.  _ Yes. _

Kaialah noted the response then continued. "Does it have 15 or more?"

_ No _ .

"11?" she asked. 

_ Yes _ . Something about that answer caused Thohuko’s antennae to twitch.

Kaialah did a search on her computer. “Ok,” she said “Let’s try to narrow it down. Ask whether its home system has a companion star.” 

_ No _ .

“Does the system have any gas giants?”

_ Yes _ .

“Three or more?” she asked.

_ No _ .

“Two?”

_ Yes _ .

“Alright, that gives us a broad search,” Kaialah said, satisfied. “If it’s anywhere within 300 light-years of here, we’ll have mapped it. I’ll have a list of candidate systems put together in a few minutes. Hopefully the fire elementals on their way here now will be able to question them using more than just these yes-or-no answers, in order to establish which of those systems, if any, is their home. That’s all I have for now. Nevaz and Thohuko, thank you both  _ so  _ much!”

“Wait!” Thohuko said, an idea coming to him. “Nevaz, give me the phrase to ask whether it knows the names of any of the planets in its home system.”

Nevaz provided the translation. Kaialah looked confused. “I haven’t even put together a list of candidate systems yet, and whatever names we have aren’t likely to be what these beings would use for them.” Thohuko ignored her and sent the message.

“Its arms are raised,” Kaialah told them.

“Is the closest planet called Aballon?” Thohuko asked. Kaialah’s eyes took on a look of understanding as Nevaz provided him the translation. Aballon was the closest planet in  _ their  _ system.

“It’s raising its arms halfway and lowering them again,” Kaialah told him.

“We worked that out before,” Nevaz supplied. “That’s how it tells us it doesn’t know.”

“We asked if it knew the names of  _ any _ of the planets, and it said yes,” Thohuko said. “Try this one: Is the third planet called Golarion?”

Kaialah watched the elemental with intense interest. As soon as it received the question, its arms went up. “By Sarenrae!” Kaialah gasped.

Thohuko staggered back. The elemental had just given its first reply directly into the telepathic link. No words, just an achingly familiar image of a brilliant blue and white ball hovering in space: Golarion, exactly as the reconstructions had pictured it.

*******

The academics were still in a state of shared excitement when Thohuko's communicator began beeping.

"Hello?" he answered. Cheezy's face appeared.

"I'm nearly here," the Ysoki announced. "This station is  _ huge _ ."

"Ok," Thuhuko replied. "I'll be waiting for you at the entrance."

"Thanks, Cheezy out."

Thohuko deactivated the comm and turned to Nevaz. "I should've mentioned before - Cheezy had a run-in with some Allips and he's asked to stay with me for a while."

"Sounds like a wise decision on his part," Nevaz agreed. "I'll join the two of you, if you don’t mind. I want to hear more about the encounter he had."

"I should probably go too," Kaialah said, checking her wrist display. "The fire elemental dignitaries have probably arrived by now, and I imagine they’re just waiting for someone to lead them back here to meet our friends in the plasma chamber."

"Kaialah, I'm going to begin preparing a report for the Seekers of Lost Golarion," Nevaz told her. "They fund my research, and I wouldn't dare wait long to tell them what we just discovered here. Can I count on your assistance with some of the technical matters? Your lab deals with subjects well outside my areas of expertise."

"After the help you just provided? It would be my sincere honor." Kaialah bowed deeply to the vesk, who nearly glowed at her unexpected gesture.

Nevaz turned to Thohuko again. “Before we go, please send one final message to the elementals within. I merely want to thank them for their answers and express the hope that we meet again someday.”

Thohuko agreed, then sent along Nevaz’s message as he spoke it. The elemental who had confirmed their origin raised a single arm. After a moment, the other elementals did the same.

“Fascinating beings,” Kaialah remarked.

The three chatted excitedly on their walk back to the entrance building. When they arrived in the main hall, they saw Kaialah had been correct in her assumption. The dignitaries had arrived.

These fire elementals were a slightly yellower color than the ones they had met the day before, and seemed to have enough control not to spread fire where they walked, even where they left the fireproof floor coverings. Around their necks they wore medallions. And near each one was a person wearing a robe that matched the elementals' color, and a holy symbol identifying them as followers of Sarenrae. Thohuko guessed these were their interpreters.

Kaialah bade her farewells, then walked over to join the dignitaries and their companions.  

Nevaz walked to the guard post and presented his receipt to reclaim his weapon. Thohuko thought he saw a scowl cross his face as he took it back, but didn't comment. Then they walked outside together and waited.

It wasn't long before they saw Cheezy walking up the stairwell leading out of the tram station, his combat droid following dutifully behind him. He walked out of the shade of the trees and looked up, noticing them for the first time.

“Hey guys!” Cheezy called out cheerfully. “Nevaz, I didn’t know you’d be here! You two been talking about cool nerd stuff?”

Nevaz didn’t seem to hear the greeting however. His eyes were locked on a point just behind Cheezy. Thohuko looked in the same direction. It took him a moment to realize what he was seeing.  _ What in the heck is that _ ? his mind started in puzzlement. Behind Cheezy, where his shadow should be, a second shadow lurked beside the first.

“Cheezy!” Nevaz yelled. “Your shadow! You have an Allip hiding in it!”

Cheezy’s eyes widened in horror as he twisted his head to look behind him. Nevaz had already drawn his weapon and prepared to fire as the shadow detached itself and began flying away. 

“It’s heading toward the university!” Thohuko yelled.

Nevaz shot, but with no apparent effect except to strike the ground underneath the shadow. It disappeared into the main entrance. The three of them ran up the steps behind it.

“Allip!” they all shouted as they ran.

They burst back inside to find a scene of chaos. One of the fire elementals was twitching violently, waves of heat glowing around it as it grew suddenly hotter. The other elementals seemed frozen in place, their attention riveted on the first.

Kaialah was yelling out, “It flew inside him!” A pair of guards had their weapons pointed at the fire elemental, but didn’t seem to know whether or not to shoot it.

The elemental turned its face straight up and a roaring blast of flame burst from its mouth. 

In response, automated fire sprinklers activated, pouring down on everything below. The possessed fire elemental began running through the hallway leading into the campus, while the other elementals scattered, looking for shelter from the sudden deluge of water threatening to snuff them out.

Nevaz began yelling at them in draconic. A few stopped to listen, then turned and ran past them, back out the entrance. Nevaz yelled a second time, in Common this time, “Sarenites! Get the rest of the elementals outside!” The yellow-robed interpreters jumped at the order and began assisting the panicked elementals still too disoriented to leave on their own. “Marcus and Pike! Shut off these sprinklers, then stay here in case more Allips attack the delegation. My friends and I will pursue this one.” The security guards didn’t seem to know if they should obey or not, but Nevaz didn’t wait around to see if anyone followed his instructions. He took off after the possessed elemental going the opposite way.

Nevaz called over his shoulder as he ran. “Come on, you two!”

Thohuko wasn’t sure he really wanted to be chasing a malevolent undead creature wearing the body of a powerful fire elemental, but did as he was told anyway. He looked behind in time to see Cheezy jump on his droid and join in the pursuit as well.  _ But what are we supposed to do if we catch it _ ? he wondered.

*******

Hands trembling, Arden ended the call and processed the information Karadite had just given him. There was a source who had seen the attackers. He was in the hospital, and may not be conscious. Telepathy with an unconscious person could be dangerous, both for the telepath as well as the recipient. And the messages, if any were passed, could be difficult to understand - less like thoughts and more like dreams (or nightmares).

Arden had done it once before, and had vowed not to make a second attempt. He remembered the night 12 years ago, when his friend Dana had been attacked back on Akiton. They had planned to meet up together with some other friends. When she didn’t arrive on time, he’d tried calling her. After she didn’t answer, he decided to head over to her place and see if she was ok. But when he found her, she was barely clinging to life, lying in an alley outside her apartment, with what little blood she had left still oozing from her wounds.

He’d used what little healing magic his instructor had taught him, but he was still in training, and his mystic cure was too weak to save her. He’d called for emergency medical help, but they were so slow. He was waiting, and he was weeping, desperate for something more he could do, and he didn’t know if help would ever arrive.

It was in that awful moment, watching her die, when his need finally overcame his caution. He created a link between their minds, desperate to find out who had attacked her, and even more desperate to tell her that he loved her and would miss her, and just give her what comfort he could before she passed.

Her mind had screamed at his touch. The force of it had nearly shattered his own. But the link was strong, and he stayed in it, desperate to communicate. But all she could tell him about the attacker was the sensation of pain as the knife had sliced cruelly into her back. The only comfort he could give her was the sensation of his own heartache at the thought of losing her.

In the end, it hadn’t been worth it. She had died in his arms, and he had only increased her agony. Her soul left her body while he was still in the link trying to communicate. When the medics finally arrived, they’d had to treat  _ him _ after he had fainted and nearly died himself from the shock of her passing. The prospect of going through that again made him physically nauseous.

But then again, he reminded himself, this time would be different.

For one thing, the maintenance tech wasn’t dying. And without the personal connection that he’d had with Dana, the link wouldn’t be as strong, so it wouldn’t be as dangerous for either of them.

The stakes were different too. The Starstone had been attacked. It wasn’t one victim he was seeking justice for, but thousands of them. And even though Dana had never seen her attacker, this man, this Ernest Hammond, had been tortured by them, up close, probably for hours before he finally gave them the information they were after. In that poor man’s mind were locked away the clues that were needed to find the people responsible. How could he refuse to even try?

Arden sat with a group of journalists waiting for the next update from Vice Commander Polaski’s office at the rescue operation. They had been stationed close enough to watch each time a victim was pulled from the excavation, usually wrapped in a cadaver bag, though occasionally leaving on a stretcher, to be rushed to a waiting team of healers and medics. It was gut-wrenching work to even bear witness. To stay with it, you had to develop a shell of cynicism. You had to stop seeing them as sentients, and just see them as raw facts to be jotted down.

But Arden had never been very good at that. He had chosen to develop his empath traits in order to become a better interviewer. A person he could connect with emotionally was someone he could understand. And a person he could understand was someone he could get to open up - tell their story and share their secrets. But an empath couldn’t just shut that down. The pain around him was taking a toll. Even harder than the panic of the people still trapped were the waves of distress emanating from the families of the missing.

The journalists around him were variously working on their own articles, contacting sources on their comms, or jotting down bits of information and observations that might be worked into their stories later. Arden knew he should be doing the same. That was the job right now.

Arden took his jobs seriously, both of them. As a reporter, he should be telling the story of the rescue operation. That was what his editors expected to receive from him. More importantly, it was what his readers expected of him. It wasn’t his job to solve the mystery of who attacked the Starstone. Even as a spy, AbadarCorp hadn’t asked him to. With a lead like the one Karadite had supplied, they’d expect him to pass it on to them so they could either act on it themselves or turn around and give it to someone else who would.

But right now, for his own sake, he wanted to find the people responsible. Arden had always committed himself to objectivity. He strove to feel the emotions of others, yet never be influenced by his own. Yet from the moment the attack had crippled his ship and put his own life in danger, it had become personal. He needed to know who would plot to create so much death and mayhem. He needed to look them in the eyes and make them feel the awful price of their actions.

“Excuse me,” Arden said as he eased himself past the reporter sitting to his right, an ysoki with black and white fur and a rumpled-looking suit that he’d probably been wearing since the previous day.

“Want me to keep your seat for you?” his colleague asked. “You’ll lose it otherwise.”

“That’s nice of you, Sid, but I’m not going to be back for a while. Let someone else have it.”

“You don’t want to wait for the big guy? Apparently Polaski’s sent word that he’s giving the next briefing himself.”

Arden shook his head. “I can’t. I’ll check the pool feed later, but I have somewhere else I have to be.”

“Oh? You know something we don’t?” Sid asked with a feigned nonchalance.

“I have something I need to take care of, that’s all,” Arden answered back.

Sid shrugged and settled back down in his seat. Arden walked to one of the nearby lift stations that had been restored to normal operation, and waited for one to arrive. 

While he waited, he slowed his breathing and worked to detach himself from the emotions buzzing in and around his mind. If this was going to work, he’d need to be as calm as he possibly could. He was still working on it when the car finally arrived. He stepped inside and sped toward the dome, almost 8 kilometers above, not knowing what he was about to face, but dreading it.

*******

Absalom General Hospital was a gleaming 10-storey building situated beside the Cornucopia, the central location for the station’s poorer residents to receive free food and medicine.

Arden entered the waiting area and looked around. The room’s many windows provided ample natural light streaming in through the dome, built in a vain effort to push back the bleak atmosphere common to all hospitals. There were a few people here with injuries waiting to be seen - the ones not urgent enough to be seen right after the explosion, but too serious to just go home and treat themselves. But most of the people in the room were uninjured, and sat with the tense, nervous expressions of people both eager for news and terrified of receiving it - the friends and family of the victims still in treatment, Arden realized.

There were no seats available, but Arden wasn’t here to sit anyway. He walked over to the administration desk and awaited his turn.

“What brings you in today?” a matronly-looking woman in a pink dress asked him, once his turn came up.

“I’m here to visit a patient who came in yesterday, name of Ernest Hammond,” he replied evenly.

“Let me just pull that up,” she said, tapping some buttons on her display.

Arden stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels while he waited.

“Are you a relative?” she asked, once she’d found the right record.

“No, just a friend,” he said, trying a smile that he hoped didn’t look nervous. Then he reminded himself he was supposed to be visiting a hurt friend. He quickly tried to shift his expression to one of proper worry.

“Oh dear, that’s too bad,” she said, seemingly unaware of his mood swings. “Looks like he’s in a coma. Only family are allowed to visit right now. I really hope he wakes up soon so you can go see him. Can I get your name and comm signal so we can contact you when he does?”

This wasn’t going the way Arden had planned, though a part of him was relieved he wouldn’t be able to try interrogating the unconscious tech. He sighed, “Well, if that’s the policy, I understand. My name’s Arden Finder.” He fumbled in his jacket for his communicator.

“Arden Finder, from  _ Finder’s Keepers _ ?” she asked in surprise.

“You read my blog?” he asked back, equally surprised.

“I’m one of your subscribers!” she exclaimed in delight. She caught herself suddenly and her expression changed from excitement to one of concern, “I read about what happened to you yesterday. I’m so glad you’re alright! Are you doing ok?”

Arden was touched by her sympathy. “To be honest,” he said, sighing, “I still haven’t slept. I think the writing is the only thing keeping me sane right now.”

“What are you doing here, Mr Finder?” she asked, puzzled. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

He was disarmed by her concern, and decided to be honest. “I’m not ready to sleep yet. I’m here trying to find out who attacked the Starstone yesterday. The man I’m here to see? I think he can identify them.”

Her expression became worried. “The man is in a coma,” she reminded him.

“I know,” Arden answered, holding her gaze. If she was one of his readers, then she already knew he was a low-level telepath. He could tell she’d figured out what he intended to do. He wondered if she also knew how dangerous it was.

She tore her eyes from his and looked back at her terminal. She paused, thinking. “Do you think you can catch them?” she finally asked, her tone quieter than before.

Arden paused too, then said, “I think I can expose them. The Stewards can do the rest.”

She turned back and stared at his face again. “This isn’t just for an article is it, Mr Finder?”

Arden shook his head.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, then opened them again. “Ok,” she said, nodding quickly. “Give me your hand.” Arden held it out for her. She put an ID band on his wrist, then handed him a signature pad and told him to sign it. He did. She took it back.

“You’re all clear to visit your brother, Mr Finder,” she said, using her normal voice once again, though Arden thought he could hear a slight tremor in it. “Through that door, take the elevator to the 4th floor, and look for room 440.”

She turned back to the queue of people waiting. “Next in line,” she called out.

Arden headed through the inner door. She didn’t watch him go.

*******

Arden pulled out his communicator and placed a comm to Karadite. She answered it, audio-only.

“Karadite, I’m inside, heading to the tech’s room. Where are you?” he asked.

“Already inside,” she said. From the sound of her voice, he could tell she was using her neural link to communicate without making any noise.

“Are you sneaking around the hospital?” he asked her.

“Not all of us can sweet-talk old ladies,” she answered. “Some of us have to be creative.”

“You saw me?” he asked, feeling embarrassed.

“No Arden, I made a guess. Sounds like I got it right.” Arden’s embarrassment increased. “Don’t look for me when you get up here,” she continued. “I’m hidden, but I’ve got surveillance set up on the door. If  _ we  _ know this guy’s still alive, it’s a good bet that the people who meant to kill him know too. Go in, get the information you can, and if you get into trouble, I’ll come get you out of it.”

“It almost sounds like you care,” he teased.

“Stop paying me and you’ll find out how much I care,” she answered coldly. “Karadite out.”

_ Been meaning to get around to that, actually _ , he thought to himself. Their arrangement was a weekly fee, plus travel and expenses. It was supposed to end when they returned to the station. That was the deal he’d made when his handlers had signed off on the plan.  _ Hope AbadarCorp doesn’t mind picking up the cost a bit longer _ , he thought. Karadite’s services weren’t cheap.

Arden stepped out of the elevator and looked for room 440. He’d known the hospital was over capacity, but the scene within still surprised him. Every bed was full, and patients were being treated wherever space could be found for them, be it in hallways or even a supply closet he walked past. The hospital had never been designed to handle so many people at once, and the medical personnel were showing the effects of their long hours and too-short breaks. Arden could tell that they were physically and mentally exhausted.  _ Well, I can relate to that _ , he thought silently.

Room 440 was to his left. He opened the door and went inside. He was so focused on his own breathing, preparing for what he was about to attempt, he almost didn't notice the huge vesk in the room with him, standing menacingly over a patient.

“What are you doing here?” Arden demanded. “You don't look like a doctor, and certainly not family.”

The vesk didn't even look up. Arden could sense a wave of disgust and guilt coming from him, mixed with other emotions he couldn't identify. “You're not very astute today, are you? I should have thought it was obvious what I was doing.” He turned to face Arden. “I'm dying.” He said it as easily as if he'd been discussing the weather, but Arden didn't miss the wave of regret and anger that came with it. He resumed facing the patient.

The vesk was wearing a hospital gown that wasn't meant to cover a frame his size. Now that he looked closer, Arden saw that he had sores visible where scales had fallen loose. He had burns on both of his arms, and he looked pale.

"Step away from him," Arden demanded, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

The vesk ignored him and continued to stare down. Arden could feel unfamiliar torrents of emotion roiling his giant frame and was afraid that at any moment he would attack.

Arden didn't repeat his demand, instead he used a spell to daze the vesk momentarily while he called Karadite for help.

The vesk just chuckled. He resisted the attack with ease and turned to face Arden again. "No more warnings? There was a time I would've killed you for that. Don't really see the point now though."

“You’re the one who put him here, aren’t you?” Arden accused, his anger overcoming his fear.

The vesk shrugged. “Not my proudest moment, but he had information I needed.”

“You’re one of the ones that attacked the Starstone, then?” Arden spat.

The vesk merely stared at Arden, but he didn’t bother to deny it.

“Who are you?” Arden asked. “And why’d you do it?”

“I am called Veznok, and I suppose I did it because I was told a lie that I wanted very much to believe.”

“What lie?” Arden asked.

Veznok snorted before answering. “That I was a soldier, and that I was striking the first blow in a great war; one that would lead my people back to glory.” Veznok suddenly fell into a fit of coughing. Arden spotted green spittle at the corner of his mouth: Vesk blood.

“A war between the Veskarium and the Pact, you mean?”

Veznok nodded between fits. After a few moments, the coughing subsided and he took a breath of air, then began speaking again. “I was given assurances - ones I believed, obviously - that I was on a mission to strike at the heart of the Pact. An attack by the Veskarium fleet was supposed to follow immediately after the destruction of the Starstone.”

“And there hasn’t been one,” Arden finished.

“NO! IT WAS A LIE!” Veznok roared, and immediately paid for it with fresh spasms of coughing that nearly made him faint.

Arden knew what he was talking about. The Veskarium hadn’t attacked, as some within the Pact had feared they would. They had actually offered immediate assistance by supplying their own healers and hospital ships, which the Pact had gratefully accepted.

Veznok got his coughing back under control and staggered around the room, still furious at having been used.

“But how did you do it? How’d you get the access codes?” Arden asked. He was afraid Veznok was too overcome with anger to talk to him anymore, and he still had so many questions.

The vesk was growing visibly weary. His body didn’t have the strength to match the fury he obviously felt. 

***You can answer me over this link if that’s easier.*** Arden sent.

Veznok snarled at him. “Stay out of my mind,  _ mystic _ .” The last word sounded like a curse.

“Sorry,” Arden apologized. He’d known others who were similarly wary of conversing through telepathy, and he didn’t want this interview to end before he had the information he sought. “But the access codes?” he asked again. “How did you get them?”

Veznok turned a tired gaze in Arden’s direction and scowled. “Your council is not so unified as you believe,” he answered cryptically.

“Someone on the Council helped you?” Arden replied in alarm. “Who?”

“Like I’d know any of their names,” Veznok spat. “Some dark elf bitch - maybe that narrows it down enough for you.”

“Was she the one who set up the attack?”

“Hardly. She was swept along by the same lie I was. She wanted a war. She’s just a fool who wants to sell weapons.” His lip curled in disgust as he spoke.

“Then who was the mastermind behind it? Who told you the lie?” Arden implored.

Veznok turned to face Arden directly again, but before he could say anything else, he suddenly stiffened and fell to the floor, a trail of smoke wafting from a fist-sized hole in his back.

*******


	6. Reunion on Absalom Station

_The elf is from Golarion_! Lili was at a loss for words, but the elf was still standing there, waiting for a response.

The elf finally broke the silence herself. “Well you’ve already given me _your_ name. I suppose I ought to return the courtesy. I am called Emanon.” She held out her hand. Lili shook it, still in awe, but at least returning to the situation before her.

“Sorry,” Lili said. “I just… I just don’t know how to process what you’re saying. I assure you, we’re not on Golarion.” She pointed at the false moon above them. “That’s not your moon. That’s a projection. It’s just a giant light aimed at a ceiling.” She pointed back the way they’d come. “That thing you rode to get here, it’s called an elevator. And it took you down from one part of the station to this place, somewhere deep inside it. Though honestly, I never even knew it was here.” She looked around again, marvelling.

Emanon grew more concerned as Lili spoke. “Then where are we? And how did I get here?” she asked.

Lili had been wondering this herself. “The first question, I can answer. We’re currently on Absalom Station, but how you got here, I don’t know.”

A look of recognition crossed the elf’s face. “I was just outside Absalom City when I suddenly found myself in a strange room I didn’t remember entering. Might they be connected?”

“Possibly,” Lili allowed. “Absalom Station is supposed to have taken its name from a great Golarian city. What can you tell me about it?”

Emanon grew thoughtful. “It’s an ancient city, I can tell you that much. And it’s the wealthiest city in history. It’s a center of military as well as trade, located in the Inner Sea, at the southern end of the Isle of Kortos.” Emanon looked at Lili’s uncomprehending expression and sighed, “and you have no idea where that is, apparently.”

Lili shook her head.

“Well, maybe you should tell me about Absalom Station,” Emanon suggested.

“Ok,” Lili began. “Absalom Station is old, but exactly how old we aren’t sure. It was built during The Gap. We’re pretty sure it was originally in orbit around Golarion, but when Golarion went missing, along with its moon,” she pointed vaguely at the projection on the ceiling, “this station became sort of a lifeboat for the races that had lived there. Nowadays, it’s the center of what remains of Golarian culture, such as it is, and it’s the seat of a government that loosely ties all of the worlds of this system together.”

“That’s twice now you’ve said Golarion was missing,” Emanon said urgently. “What does that mean? What happened to it? And what is this gap you keep mentioning?”

Lili had realized this question was coming, and wasn’t sure how the elf would react, but decided to simply lay out the facts as directly as she could. “No one really knows,” she said gently. “Even the gods won’t say anything about Golarion except that ‘it’s safe’, but we have no idea what that means. A little over 300 years ago, history was erased. We call it ‘The Gap’. We have records dating back to a time before The Gap began, but it was thousands of years ago. We have no idea what happened in those intervening millennia except what we can piece together through archaeology. No artificial or biological memory of that time seems to have survived. And about Golarion, we don’t even have records from _before_ The Gap. We know it existed by virtue of oblique references in other records, and this station, obviously, which transits the same orbit around the sun that Golarion once did. But all information about Golarion itself is simply missing.”

Emanon was stunned. “Missing? Even if this place we’re in now is simply a room inside of some artificial satellite, it’s clear that it was built by someone from my home. These plants, those stars, and that moon above us are all of Golarion.”

“You’re right,” Lili answered. “I had no idea this was here, but it was clearly built by people who knew Golarion, and probably lived on it. The Gap erased memories and records, but it didn’t unmake _things_ . This chamber survived as a record of Golarion, and I’m guessing someone has been protecting and caring for it ever since, keeping the secret of this place until, I suppose, they decided this was the best place to put _you_ for now.”

“A beautiful cage then,” Emanon said, looking around again, this time with evident distaste. “But that’s crazy!” she yelled out suddenly. “If they don’t know about their home, they should welcome me! I’m a bard! I’ve studied the histories and epics of a dozen different cultures. I can tell them the tales of our heroes, our wars, our gods and our great cities. To shut me away in here like this, it just… why?”

Lili was stunned. “You studied Golarian history?”

“Yes,” Emanon answered. “I am 120 years old. Young by the standards of my people, but I have a good memory, and I’ve been training as a bard for over 50 years. All I want to do is find a way home, but while I’m here, it would be my great joy, not to mention my duty, to share the songs and tales I’ve been studying these past decades.”

“I can get you out of this place,” Lili said. “But we might have to fight. The men who brought you down here didn’t intend to let you come and go on your own. The elevator that you rode can only be called with an access badge, but when I followed you down, I kept the elevator from traveling back up. I’m guessing they don’t want to let you leave. I’m not sure what they’ll do if you and I try, but they’re probably waiting for us up there.”

Emanon unfastened her cloak and took out a shortbow and quiver that had been hidden underneath it. “It isn’t my first preference, but I can fight if I have to.”

“Good,” Lili said, as they began walking back to the elevator. “You should also know that there was an attack yesterday. I’m guessing it’s connected to your arrival.”

“Oh? How so?” Emanon asked with interest.

“Have you ever heard of the Starstone?” Lili asked.

Emanon’s eyes lit up. “Yes! It came to Golarion thousands of years before my time. Its arrival brought such disaster upon the land that my own people fled to Castrovel in fear when its coming was foretold.”

“That’s where most elves live today,” Lili remarked.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Emanon replied. “Anyway, we returned to Golarion about 1000 years before my birth, to find it much changed. Your people, the humans, had become numerous, but also civilized. The city you had asked about, Absalom, was built around the Starstone. It’s an incredibly powerful magic artifact, and has been known to help mortals ascend to godhood, though it’s surrounded by a deadly labyrinth called the Starstone Cathedral, and most who try to reach it die in the attempt.”

“That’s incredible!” Lili said, enraptured by her words. She took a moment to digest the new information, then resumed her own tale. “Well, some time ago, during The Gap, the Starstone was carried into orbit to power this entire station. Without it, Absalom Station could never have been built. I don’t think anyone has used the Starstone to become a god though, not since The Gap, anyway. I didn’t know that was possible!”

“As I said, most died in the attempt. But you were saying there’d been an attack?”

“Right,” Lili said, returning to the original conversation. “Yesterday, someone attacked the Starstone, splitting it in two. It unleashed a terrible explosion. Many of the people who lived and worked near the Starstone perished. Thousands of them are still missing. But even more interesting, I met a group of 11 fire elementals who appeared on the station suddenly, like you did.”

“Fire elementals? How strange!” Emanon exclaimed.

“Can you tell me more about your own arrival?” Lili asked. “Maybe there’s a connection.”

“I’ll tell you what I can,” Emanon replied, ducking past a low-hanging branch as she walked. “I was crossing a bridge, over a river on Kortos -”

“The island where Absalom City was located,” Lili said, remembering it from before.

“Yes,” Emanon acknowledged. “Please don’t interrupt. Anyway, I was walking across the bridge when a bolt of lightning caught me in the chest. I couldn’t see where it had come from, but it wasn’t the sky. Now that I reflect, it _could_ have come from the Starstone, I guess, though I was still a great distance from it. I felt numb, but not in pain. Everything around me vanished. I expected to find myself in Elysium at that point, but suddenly I was in a room about the size of a small tavern. It had a bed and a desk, a strange sink of some sort, a lounge area with comfortable-looking furniture, a couple of doors I was afraid to try, and a balcony that looked out onto a garden full of trees I’d never seen before.”

“You were at a suite in The Hanging Gardens Hotel!” Lili exclaimed. “Sounds like one of their nicest ones!”

“Well, I didn’t know anything about that. I just thought the room was for me. I was tired and frightened, so I decided to lay down on the bed until someone came and told me why I’d been brought there. I’d hoped I was in Findeledlara’s Realm.”

“ _Whose_ realm?”

“Findeledlara,” Emanon repeated. “God of art and architecture, but nearly all of his followers are elves, so no surprise you haven’t heard of him. Never mind.”

“So what happened next?” Lili asked.

Emanon waved her hands while she talked. “Someone arrived a few hours later, but they didn’t seem to have any idea who I was or why I was there either. They said they were going to call security. I didn’t have anywhere to go, so I waited until ‘security’ arrived. The woman who got there a few minutes later seemed just as confused as I was, but she took me down to an office where they gave me some food (delicious, by the way), showed me how to use one of their showers (I didn’t let them take my gear though), and then gave me this dress.”

“Then they walked you through the garden and deposited you here?” Lili finished.

“Yeah, basically,” Emanon agreed. “They said they were sending me home.” Emanon’s expression darkened. “Whatever it took to trick me into coming down here, I suppose.”

The two of them arrived back at the elevator. Emanon looked at it dubiously.

“It’s terrible that they lied to you that way, but that first part is really interesting!” Lili said. “Somehow the Starstone is connected to itself at different points in time.”

Emanon shrugged and said nothing.

Lili turned her attention to the elevator. “I was able to use the elevator without one of the badges the security people had,” Lili explained. “Looks like you only need the access badge to call the elevator, but since it’s still here, I think we’ll be able to go back up just by pressing the right button.” She pushed the doors open and walked in. Emanon followed behind her. Then she picked up the branch she’d been propping the doors open with, and tossed it back into the grove of needle-trees.

“Get your weapon ready and look intimidating,” Lili said. “These aren’t regular station security we’re about to deal with - I hope not, anyway. They’re just hotel staff. I’m hoping they’re not paid enough to risk a fight.”

Emanon nocked an arrow and flashed a dangerous smile. “As you say, Lilin Arn. Let’s find out what they’re made of.”

*******

 _Damnit_! Karadite cursed. She hadn’t seen the attacker before he’d shot through the room’s window from across the hall. If Arden was dead, she’d never forgive him. She activated her comm and called him, praying he was still alive to receive it.

“Can’t talk now,” Arden’s voice came at once. “Get after him!”

Karadite nearly gasped in relief, then burst from her hiding spot and took off after the sniper. She couldn’t see the assailant clearly in all the commotion, but she could tell it had four arms. _Kasatha_ , she identified at once. The kasatha lithely jumped over obstacles and threw things behind it as it ran. But Karadite matched its speed with grace, dodging and jumping as she closed.

It turned to go down a stairwell and Karadite slowed, sensing it might be luring her into a trap. She dove to her belly and went through the stairwell entrance headfirst. A blaster bolt careened off the wall behind her where her head would’ve been. The kasatha tried to line up another shot, but Karadite fired first. It missed by a hair and it jumped out of her view before she could fire again.

The kasatha vaulted over a railing, plunging through the center of the stairwell, dropping four  storeys in a matter of seconds. Karadite didn’t hesitate, jumping down immediately after. It was disappearing through the exit as she landed. She rolled to her feet and sprang forward, following closely behind.

The kasatha had made it outside the building and was about to disappear behind the Cornucopia when Karadite found her target again. With lightning reflexes, she sighted along her pistol and fired. The sniper went down, arms and legs splayed in front of it. Karadite ran forward to get a closer look, careful to keep her gun ready in case it was still a threat.

Just then, she got another comm from Arden. “What?” she answered.

“Karadite, try to capture the sniper alive, if you can,” Arden asked. “He might know who the mastermind behind the Starstone attack was.”

Karadite looked down at the kasatha again, a hole in its back rapidly spewing blood and gore. “Um, that might be difficult.”

She heard Arden sighing. “He’s already dead, isn’t he?”

“You said get him!” she answered angrily. “You couldn’t have mentioned to capture him alive _before_ I shot him?”

“Maybe he isn’t dead yet?” Arden asked hopefully.

Karadite did a quick check of the kasatha, then started back in surprise as a shadow burst out of its body and headed in the direction of the park. “Arden, an Allip just emerged from this guy!”

“Are you under attack?” he asked, sounding alarmed.

“No, it took off. It’s headed for the park. Should I follow it?”

“Not alone,” Arden warned. “Wait there and we can track it together. Where are you?”

“I’m in the little open space area between Absalom General and the Cornucopia building."

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Arden said, then disconnected.

*******

Arden set his comm aside, sighing in frustration and exhaustion, and prepared to leave, nearly drained by the effort he’d just spent.

While Karadite had been chasing after the sniper, Arden had been trying desperately to save Veznok’s life. His mystic healing ability had grown stronger in the years since he’d failed to save Dana, but this was beyond his skill. The hole in Veznok’s back had closed partway, but the vesk’s body had been near death even before the sniper blast had come through the window.

He was just about to leave when he heard a weak cough on the floor behind him. He turned to see the vesk trying to roll onto his side to look back up at him. Arden quickly dropped down to his side.

***Don’t try to move, Veznok. Doctors are coming.*** he hoped the vesk had the good sense to follow the advice before he killed himself.

*** _I thought I told you not to use your telepathy._ *** Veznok sent back.

***And yet, here you are answering over my link.*** Arden replied.

*** _Indeed. You had a question for me. I would answer._ *** Veznok’s eyes stared directly into Arden’s, an angry defiant look appeared there, despite being so close to death.

***Who told you you were fighting a war, Veznok?*** Arden asked.

*** _I_ _only knew his codename. He called himself Finisher_.***

***What did he look like?***

*** _He’s a male lashunta. Taller than you’d expect._ ***

***Anything else?***

*** _Scar below his left eye. Always dressed in black._ ***

***Anything else that might help me find him?***

*** _He found me. I never knew how to find him._ ***

***Thank you, Veznok.***

*** _Kill him for me, mystic. That would be thanks enough._ *** Veznok’s face became slack and his eyes closed. Arden didn’t know if he was dead or not, but he couldn’t waste any more time. He jumped up and bolted through the door.

“Medical emergency!” he cried, pointing at the door he’d come through. “The vesk in there is dying!” Heads turned in his direction. Arden noticed for the first time the chaotic situation Karadite had left in her wake as she’d chased the sniper. Overturned carts and patient beds cluttered the hallway in the direction they’d gone. From one of the rooms in that direction, he heard a child crying.

A pair of doctors pushed past him to get to the room he’d just left. Arden hoped they might still save Veznok, if only so he could testify against the others responsible for the attack, but he had no time to watch them work.

Arden quickly made his way down through the hospital, and back out the way he’d arrived. The woman behind the receptionist’s desk saw him as he sped past. “What happened up there?” she yelled at him.

“Read my blog tomorrow!” he yelled back, then shot out the door to meet up with Karadite.

*******

Cheezy was trying and failing to figure out how it had happened that, instead of running _away_ from Allips, he was suddenly chasing one. _When did_ I _become the sort of person who just does what someone tells him to_?

The great big vesk had barked an order, and without thinking, he’d followed it. The Allip-possessed fire elemental was leaving an easy trail to follow, at least. The scorch marks and frightened screams were a pretty good indication as to which way it had gone. The huge vesk was still in the lead, but Cheezy and Thohuko were close behind him, ready to lend support when they caught up with their quarry. Though what, exactly, they were supposed to do, Cheezy wasn’t really clear on. Nevaz hadn’t been in the mood to provide that level of detail.

Dott was starting to whine as she moved. Cheezy knew she’d need maintenance soon after all the strain he’d put her through in the past 24 hours. “You got this, Dott,” he said encouragingly. “I’m going to take good care of you, I promise. I just need you to keep going a little longer.”

Dott beeped back in acknowledgement. Her AI wasn’t so advanced as to run afoul of the laws against imparting sentience to an artificial creature, but she was right up to the hairy edge of that limit. Cheezy knew she understood him. She put on a little more speed for him.

Up ahead, the elemental had reached one of the walls of the campus. So far, it hadn’t veered left or right at any point in its mad rush away from the Arcanamirium. Or possibly a mad rush toward something? Cheezy didn’t know.

Without even slowing, the fire elemental crashed into the wall ahead of it. The wall stopped it, but only briefly. The elemental became super-heated as it plowed itself into the wall, turning it to molten rock where it touched its body. Once it had an opening wide enough, the Allip-possessed elemental resumed running, heading into the park at the center of The Eye.

Cheezy’s eyes went wide. “Thohuko,” he shouted at the lashunta. “Is this guy running _away_ from us, or do we just happen to be following it?”

Thohuko panted as he continued running, “Um, I think the second one?”

“Ok, just checking,” Cheezy said.

The three of them jumped through the elemental-shaped hole in the wall and continued after it. Cheezy tried to imagine how they looked to passersby. _Like idiots_ , he concluded after a beat. _But maybe_ brave _idiots_?

Where the elemental passed over roads, it left a long ugly scorch mark behind it. Where it passed over grass, it left little fires burning. They were still more than 25 meters behind it when it suddenly stopped.

 _Oh crap_ , Cheezy thought. _Now we’re in for it_.

The elemental began spinning where it stood, creating a whirling twist of flame and ash. But Cheezy realized with shock that it wasn’t attacking, it was drilling. In moments, it was out of sight, under the sod, and rapidly digging into the structure of the station below it.

“Nevaz!” Cheezy yelled. “What do we do?” Cheezy hoped that the idiot who’d told them to chase it might also have a plan.

Nevaz didn’t answer with words. Instead, he summoned a sword of light and began hacking at the ground. Cheezy thought he was trying to attack the escaping elemental directly, but he was wrong. With a scream and a huge cloud of steam, the elemental leaped back onto the grass above. Cheezy saw that Nevaz had sliced into an irrigation line, inundating the hole the elemental had been creating.

“Remember, the elemental isn’t our enemy!” Nevaz shouted back at them. “Try to attack the Allip possessing it!”

Cheezy looked at his pistol with a confused expression. _How am I supposed to attack the Allip without hitting the elemental_? he wondered.

He looked over at Thohuko in time to see his expression become intense, and his antennae begin quivering. The fire elemental fell to its knees and two shadows shot out from it.

“Where did the second Allip come from?” Cheezy asked, bewildered.

“I saw it join the elemental a few moments ago, as we were running into the park,” Nevaz answered. “Thohuko, what did you just do?”

“I just dazed it,” Thohuko replied. “I didn’t know if it would actually work, but I didn’t want to hurt the elemental if I could avoid it.”

“Guys,” Cheezy shouted, pointing off in the distance. “Isn’t that Arden and Karadite running towards us?”

Nevaz looked in the same direction. “I believe it is!” he said. “This is turning into quite a reunion. I wonder if they’ll be able tell us where the second Allip came from.”

Thohuko watched the two Allips retreating. “So, are we chasing those two, or…?”

“Yes, but in a moment,” Nevaz replied. He walked over to the elemental and spoke to it in draconic. The elemental turned to listen, shook its head as if trying to clear it, then began walking back in the direction it had come from, presumably to rejoin the others from its delegation. It no longer damaged the ground so much as it walked, now that it was in control of itself again.

Arden and Karadite ran up just as the elemental began its return trek. Arden looked terrible. Cheezy figured he was either seriously out of shape or hadn’t slept since the crash. _Probably both_ , he thought, taking a second look.

Arden doubled over and hugged his knees, trying to get his breath back. Karadite ignored him and looked at the others. “Hi,” she said. “Did you see which way the Allip went?”

Nevaz nodded and pointed. “We were just waiting for you to join us,” he said. “There are two now, by the way. I presume we both had one to pursue.”

Karadite looked in the direction he was pointing. “Isn’t that the Hanging Gardens Hotel?”

*******

The elevator doors opened onto the gardens. The hotel guard that Lili had knocked over stood in front of a group of five other guards in the same uniform. “You need to-” he began, then blanched. Whatever it was he thought they needed to do was lost as his eyes locked onto the arrow aimed squarely at his face.

“You thought to keep me prisoner?” Emanon asked. “You figured you’d trick me into your little Golarion solarium?” Lili’s lips curled up at that turn of phrase. _Bards are fun_ , she thought to herself.

“We were just following orders,” one of the other guards said quickly, a woman with short brown hair. “We weren’t trying to hurt you, but we didn’t know if you were dangerous, and station security was too busy to come deal with you.”

“You could have tried being honest with me,” Emanon said, her tone rising with anger.

The first guard had his hands in the air, and backed slowly away.

Lili took the opportunity to speak. “There’s no need for a fight,” she said diplomatically. “She’s not going back down there peacefully, and I’m pretty sure prison guard wasn’t in the job descriptions you guys signed up for anyway, am I right?” Lili looked around at the expressions of the other guards. It looked like she was getting through to them.

“I think you can lower your weapon now, Emanon,” she said to the elf.

Emanon slung her bow over her shoulder and turned to one of the other guards who hadn’t spoken yet, a female about the same height as herself. “Thank you for dinner and breakfast,” she said. “You’re not getting the dress back, sorry, but come see me in a few days. I’ll give you a free story about your homeworld.” She said this last with a wink.

The guard she’d spoken to looked stunned. “Um, that would be really cool, actually,” she managed to say.

“Are any of you going to give us trouble if we leave?” Lili asked. The guards looked around at each other.

“Just get her out of here,” one said. The others nodded.

Lili and Emanon walked back out onto the path together, heading for the exit. “You are going to _love_ the Starfinder Society,” Lili told her new friend excitedly. “And oh my goodness are they going to love _you_!”

Emanon smiled at that. Lili guessed she was already looking forward to her new fame.

Behind them they heard a commotion. “Allips!” someone screamed. Two of the guards suddenly burst out onto the path chasing them. Their eyes were inky black, and behind each of them was an extra shadow.

Lili looked at her friend in terror. “Run!” she yelled. Emanon was confused, but didn’t ask any questions, easily keeping pace alongside Lili’s rapid gait.

The two of them raced together. Emanon spotted an opening between the trees and grabbed Lili’s arm, pulling her off the path. “We’ll use the terrain to lose them,” Emanon whispered. Lili nodded and followed close behind. They lost sight of their pursuers, but Emanon didn’t slow down.

“They’re still following,” Emanon whispered. “I don’t know how they’re tracking us!” Lili saw the disturbances their pursuers made as they chased after them, and realized Emanon was right. Wherever Lili and Emanon turned, the possessed guards seemed to know exactly which way they’d gone. It wasn’t like running from the guards before, Lili realized. There was no evading them.

Lili panted from the exertion. “Let’s just get out of here,” she said through gasping breaths. “If we can’t hide, then let’s run.” Emanon nodded. Lili changed direction to head for the exit. A bullet ricocheted off a stone in front of her. Lili turned back to see one of the guards had pulled out his pistol and was aiming at them.

“Look out!” Lili yelled. She zipped to her left, just as another bullet whizzed passed her. Emanon was terrified now. Lili realized she’d probably never been shot at by a gun before. _Well, neither have I_ , she reminded herself. This wasn’t one of those new experiences she’d hoped to share with her new friend.

Into the chaos, a fresh sound caught their attention. Behind them, some sort of commotion was taking place. The noise of a group of people running and shouting caused her to look back, just in time to see a giant vesk bowl into the guard who’d been shooting at them. _Nevaz_! she realized in shocked relief.

That relief was short-lived however. The guard fell forward heavily, and a shadow burst out of him, taking on the familiar form of an Allip. It raced toward her with a hungry glare and unwavering flight. Before she could get away or even scream, it was upon her. No, it was _in_ her.

Lili’s mind roared in pain. “NO!” she screamed. Or maybe the scream was in her head. She couldn’t tell what was reality and what was taking place in her own mind. Or the Allip’s mind. It was getting hard to tell which was which. She wanted to get away. But no, she wanted to kill, to spread pain. _Kill the elf_ , a maddened voice inside her urged. _NO_! she screamed again, with more urgency. She wouldn’t be this creature’s puppet. She stabbed and bit and punched at the shadowy form trying to seize control of her will.

 _NO_! the Allip screamed inside her mind, as with one final desperate strike, Lili sent it hurtling back out of her. Lili slumped to the ground, head pounding in agony, but back in control of herself. Its possession had failed, barely.

The next thing Lili knew, Emanon was lifting her up under the arm. “Come on, human,” she grunted. “Get _up_!” Lili felt sluggish, but managed to force her legs to respond. The Allip had failed to possess her, but it was by no means done with them. And the other guard was around here somewhere too.

Lili forced her mind to work again. “My friends,” she said weakly. “They’re here. They’re trying to help us.”

Emanon looked back over her shoulder at the commotion taking place behind them. “Then let them cover our escape,” she said. “I don’t know what we’re up against, but you and I are in no condition to fight it.” Lili looked weakly back at the fight, then nodded, and let Emanon carry her away from the danger.

*******

Arden was the last of the group to reach the melee. Nevaz’s quick thinking had freed one of the hotel guards from possession, but likely broken a couple of his ribs in the process. Arden winced in sympathy. The Allip that had flown out had vanished into Lili for just a moment before coming back out, looking disoriented.

 _Well done, Lili_ , Arden congratulated her mentally. Not many could fight off a possession from an Allip that way.

The other guard was still possessed, and had turned its gun on Nevaz. “Look out, Nevaz!” Arden shouted. Nevaz jumped aside as the possessed guard fired.

Cheezy raced toward the guard while Karadite ducked off the path and tried to support with a flanking maneuver. Arden lost sight of her behind the trees, but knew she was getting into position for something. Just before Cheezy reached the guard, he suddenly turned his attention on the disoriented Allip and fired, but his shot went wide. He yelled in frustration.

Karadite’s shot came barely a second later, and she didn’t miss. Arden thought she’d hurt it, but soon realized it was completely unaffected. _Damn it_ , he thought to himself. _Why are those bastards so hard to hit_?

Arden ran toward the guard and extended his mind, looking for the Allip’s taint of corruption on the possessed woman’s psyche. He found it. The Allip sensed him and stiffened, preparing to strike out across his link, but Arden already had his own attack ready to spring.

Arden unleashed a full assault, thrusting deep into the twisted undead mind, tearing at it, ripping it from the possessed human’s. All the malevolent, hateful energy the Allip possessed, Arden turned back on itself. It shrieked in anger, then in agony, as the assault pressed on.

Arden slumped and grabbed his head, suddenly feeling dizzy. It was like being drunk and hung over at the same time. He’d never used that particular attack on anything before, but this felt wrong. He didn’t remember any of his teachers warning him about this reaction. Even so, Arden reckoned he’d gotten the better end of the exchange. The Allip’s mind had come apart under the assault.

A shadow spilled out of the guard, who immediately fainted, and with a dying shriek of mental anguish, the Allip vanished straight down. _No, not straight down_ , Arden realized on reflection, it had actually gone away at a slight angle, in the direction of the Starstone below them. _What in the hells does_ that _mean_? Arden wondered with a shudder.

The remaining Allip floated toward the nearest opponent, rage contorting its expression as it chanted madly to itself. “Cheezy, look out!” Nevaz yelled. The ysoki backed away in terror, trying to line up another shot with his pistol, even while fear made his hands shake.

Thohuko glared at it as he finished his chant, blue ribbons of energy thrummed dangerously between his hands. “Not today you don’t!” he yelled, as he fired off three magic missiles in quick succession. The concussive blows of force threw the Allip into the ground, writhing in pain. It turned to look at Thohuko, then retreated, disappearing into a wall.

“Where’d it go?” Karadite shouted, emerging from her hiding spot.

Nevaz roared in frustration. “We had them! We had them and one got away!” Arden remembered that for all Nevaz was a scholar and normally peaceful, he was still a vesk. The heat of the pursuit and the adrenaline of battle had brought out the famed bloodlust that made the vesk such fierce warriors. It was an intimidating sight.

“Nevaz,” Arden called out soothingly. “It’s ok. We got one, and the other is running scared. The important thing is no one else got hurt.”

Thohuko looked at Arden, then at the guards. “You sure about that?” he asked.

Cheezy was closest to the one that had fainted. He flashed a thumbs up after examining her, then began helping her sit up and collect her bearings. The guard Nevaz had knocked over however, was lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

“Oh shoot,” Arden said, running up to the injured guard. “I used the last of my mana fighting the Allip,” he said apologetically to the guard. “I don’t have the strength to heal you. I can call for a medic, but that’s about it.” The guard cast a pained expression at him, but managed to nod. Arden took out his communicator to place the call. “They’ll be here in a few minutes,” he said, once he had finished the call.

Cheezy looked confused. “How come they didn’t hypnotize us again like last time?”

Thohuko looked up at Cheezy. “The last one tried, right after it failed to possess Lili, but I think we were immune. I’ve read about these sorts of creatures. Often, once you’ve been hypnotized, or even if you've resisted their attempt, it can take up to a full day before they can affect you again. Check the time. If we’d faced them an hour from now, they might’ve succeeded.”

Cheezy’s eyes widened and he shuddered. “That must be why I wasn’t affected down in the hangar. I really hope we don’t run into any more.”

With the battle won, Lili and her friend finally came back into view. Arden supposed they’d hidden away, just out of sight. “Hello,” said the strange woman.

Thohuko cast a smile at her. “Hello,” he answered back. Then he turned to Lili. “Good to see you out making friends, as usual.”

Lili grinned back at him. Then she looked down at the guard and her expression changed to one of dismay. “Oh no! That’s the same guy I knocked over earlier today.” She shot him a sympathetic look. “Sorry.” The guard barely seemed to notice her.

“Step aside,” the mystery woman said to Arden. “Let me have a look at him.”

Arden did as he was told, and the woman sat down to examine the injured guard. “Everyone,” Lili said, gathering their attention. “I’d like you to meet my friend Emanon. She’s an elf, and she’s got a fascinating story to share.” The others all looked at her, and then exchanged glances with each other.

“Actually,” Nevaz said, “Thohuko and I have a fascinating story to share as well.”

“So do I,” Cheezy said to the group.

“Arden and I-” Karadite began.

"Will be happy to listen!" Arden said quickly, cutting her off.

"Of course," Karadite said, with a curt nod of agreement.

Back on the ground, Emanon began chanting in Elvish, and her hands took on a warm glow. Arden thought it looked like the mystic cure he was familiar with, but somehow not the same. “How are you…” he began.

The guard’s injuries began to vanish, and his groans of pain subsided. Emanon turned her head and looked up with a pleased expression on her face. “On my planet, we call that ‘Cure Wounds.’ All the bards learn it.”

“And which planet would that be, exactly?” Nevaz asked.

She turned a mysterious smile in his direction. “Golarion.”

*******


	7. Processing Old Information

Lili gathered her belongings with a heavy heart and sighed. The manager had decided not to press charges, mainly to avoid publicizing the secret chamber beneath the hotel, but he had made it clear that Lili would have to leave. “And if you ever tell anyone else about our sanctum," he'd warned, "we  _ will _ prosecute you for trespassing." So now she had a secret to keep in return for avoiding legal trouble. But fortunately, the hotel hadn’t ever wanted to deal with Emanon anyway, so getting her out wasn’t an issue.  _ I’m basically doing them a favor _ , she thought to herself.  _ Don’t see why they have to be such jerks about it _ .

Emanon sat in the room, chatting with Nevaz, both of them trying not to get in Lili’s way. The others had already left. Arden and Karadite had gone off to whatever business they had, while Cheezy and Thohuko had headed to the Arcanamirium together. She’d promised to call Thohuko once she knew where she’d be staying.

“Is this painting one of the elementals?” Emanon asked, noticing it still-unpacked by the window.

“Yes,” Nevaz answered. “It’s a remarkably good likeness,” he said approvingly.

Lili smiled at the compliment. “Thanks, Nevaz,” she said. “I would’ve liked to let it dry a bit longer.” She frowned, picking up the torn shirt she'd worn earlier. "At least they gave me time to shower and change. This outfit is ruined."

Emanon laughed, "Oh, I don't know. It's got character now. And a great story to explain the tears. If it were mine, I'd sew them shut with ugly clashing threads so they'd stand out. And anyone who asked about them would be treated to the ballad of ‘Lili the Xenoseeker’."

Lili giggled. "You really would, wouldn't you? I've honestly never met anyone like you, Emanon."

"You only say that because you've never met an elven bard before," Emanon retorted. "I'm just a storyteller who can't resist an audience."

Nevaz looked at Lili. "Where will you go next?" he asked.

"I don't know," Lili sighed. "All the hotels are full. The Starstone incident destroyed so many people's homes. I suppose I'll just go to the Cornucopia and see what shelters have space."

"Perhaps I can suggest a more pleasant alternative," Nevaz started. He looked at Emanon. "For both of you."

Lili arched an eyebrow in his direction.

"I'm listening," Emanon said.

"I've been staying on my ship with Jian." He looked at Emanon again. "You haven't met her yet. But I'll introduce you soon." Emanon nodded for him to continue. “Well, the  _ Myriad  _ is small, but it does have quarters for additional crew. If you like, I can offer you both a place to stay for a while, at least until my work on Absalom Station is concluded.”

Emanon’s eyes lit up with delight. “Your ship that travels the stars?” She turned to Lili. “I know it’s probably not that exciting for you, but the only ships I’ve ever been inside traveled over water.”

Lili smiled. “I would be very happy to accept your offer,” she said to Nevaz. “And Emanon, I think I’m going to have a lot of fun looking at my world through your eyes.”

“Nevaz, you don’t mind if I hang this up in my new cabin, do you?” Lili asked, pointing at the portrait she’d made that morning.

Nevaz nodded approvingly. “While you’re aboard, please make yourself comfortable. A little decoration would be lovely. I even have a small workspace I’m not using where you can paint new ones, if you like.”

Lili nodded her head vigorously. “Yes, please, thank you very much!” she blurted out in a rush. She threw herself back into the process of packing, suddenly excited to be leaving. Nevaz and Emanon each helped with her bags. Last of all, she grabbed the portrait and carried it gingerly out the door as the three of them left.

*******

Once they’d finished transferring Lili’s things to the  _ Myriad _ and shared a quick lunch, Nevaz and Lili decided it was time to introduce Emanon to the Starfinders. “Don’t be surprised if people stare,” Nevaz warned her.

“Oh, I don’t worry about that,” Emanon replied easily. “My nightmare is being ignored. Getting stared at is no trouble at all. In fact,” she said, an idea coming to her suddenly. “Lili, do you have something I can tie my hair back with? Let them see the ears more clearly, yeah?” she said, pointing at them with a goofy expression.

Lili laughed and pulled a hair tie from one of her bags, then handed it to her. Nevaz just shook his head and chuckled. “Do you have any idea,” he said, “what I would give to  _ not _ be stared at for a change?”

Emanon winked at him, “Well then, we should hang out more often, lizard-man. Any stares they throw our way we’ll just both assume are for my benefit, and we can both be happy about it.” She finished tying her hair back and appraised herself in a mirror. “Alright, I think I’m ready to meet my public,” she pronounced.

Nevaz called Jian to let them know they were on their way, then led them across the docking area over to the lifts. “Jian says she has something amazing she wants to show me,” he told the two women as they boarded. “I told her I had something amazing to show her too.” He furrowed his brow in thought. “I’m not entirely positive that you’re going to be the main event here, Emanon. Whatever she’s found has her more excited than I’ve ever heard her.”

Lili was skeptical. “Are we forgetting we have a living breathing  _ elf _ here, from  _ Golarion _ ?” Emanon smiled at her.

“No, no, I’m sure you’re right, Lili,” he said, still puzzled by the exchange. “Still, it sounds like the Archive is in a flurry of activity. Jian sounded like she was at a gaming parlor on Verces. With all the cheering and shouting I could barely hear her. I have no idea what we’re about to find.”

“Well then,” said Emanon. “Let’s pick up the pace!”

“The lifts only go one speed,” Nevaz replied drily. “It’ll just be a few more minutes. Aren’t elves supposed to be naturally patient?”

“Is  _ that _ what elves are like today?” Emanon asked. “They sound boring.”

Nevaz and Lili just looked at each other and shrugged as the lift continued its ascent through the station.

*******

They reached the Archive and walked out into a huge crowd, all staring intently at the various search terminals. There were scattered quiet conversations, but Nevaz couldn’t see what the source of the commotion he’d heard before was. He looked around and found Jian standing with one of the dataphiles, and walked over to make introductions.

Whatever had gotten people so excited had also distracted them. They’d gone most of the way toward Jian before any of the assembled seemed to notice the strange-looking elf or the vesk walking among them. There were a few stares by the time they reached Jian, but nowhere near what he’d been bracing for.

“Jian,” he began, “I’d like you to meet-”

A portion of the crowd suddenly erupted in cheers. “We found another one!” someone shouted. Several people began running toward their query terminal.

“Nevy!” Jian greeted warmly. “You’ve got to see this!” She finally noticed the women with him. “Oh, hello again Lili. And who are you?” she asked, noticing Emanon and not quite sure what to make of her.

“Jian’chi, I’d like you to meet Emanon,” Nevaz answered. “She’s an elf, and she’s from Golarion.”

“Oh!” Jian replied. “Well, that’s convenient! What part of Golarion are you from?” she asked. This was not the reaction Nevaz had been expecting.

Emanon seemed surprised too, but had an answer ready, “I’ve lived in many parts of Golarion, but I was born and grew up in Greengold, a port city.”

Jian smiled excitedly, “That’s on the shores of Lake Encarthen, correct? Founded by Queen Telandia of Kyonin to allow trade with other races?” Emanon nodded at this response, confused.

“Didn’t you say all knowledge of Golarion was gone?” she asked Lili.

Lili gave a bewildered shrug. “I’m as confused as you are,” she assured her.

Jian merely beamed in delight. “I’m so happy to meet you, Emanon. Welcome to the Archive’s Cortex, heart of all knowledge within the Starfinder Society. I’m guessing that whatever brought you here was the same power that restored so much lost knowledge.” As she spoke, another crowd of cheers went up.

“What’s going on?” Nevaz asked. “What restored knowledge? You’ve recovered information about Golarion in the Archive? But how?”

“That’s what I wanted to show you!” she said excitedly. “We’ve been running queries continuously ever since it started happening. We’ll do a query, and every so often, instead of the information we ask for, we get information about Golarion. Not archaeological records, but records from  _ before _ the Gap!”

“What?” Lili and Nevaz shouted together in mutual shock.

“I don’t understand it either,” Jian told them. “All I know is that sometime after the Starstone incident, records appeared in the database that simply hadn’t been there before. The only common thread appears to be the Golarian elves. Almost all the information we’ve found relates to them in some way. The dataphiles are recording the information as fast as we can find it in case it disappears again.”

“Have we learned anything that might explain The Gap?” Nevaz asked urgently. “Or explained where Golarion might have gone?”

Jian shook her head. “I haven’t seen anything like that. But how about you?” She turned to look at Emanon. “How did you end up on Absalom Station?”

Emanon shrugged, “A bolt of lightning zapped me. We think it came from the Starstone in my time. And instead of killing me, it stuck me in a fancy hotel room. I’m still trying to get oriented.” She looked at Jian again. “So, are you a human? Only, you’ve got glowing tattoos, and I have no idea what that’s about.”

Jian shook her head. “Definitely not!” she said. “I’m an android. These ‘tattoos’ are where my biofeedback systems connect my organic and inorganic components. Basically my nervous system, sort of. I could cover them up if I wanted to pass for human, but I’m perfectly happy to let them show.”

Emanon nodded, then changed to a confused shake. “Wait, what? ‘Biofeedback’? ‘Inorganic components’? Are you saying you’re some sort of a construct?”

Nevaz gave a quick warning motion, “No, no. We don’t use that word.”

Jian just sighed. “It’s fine. She doesn’t know any better. I’m a sentient being, the same as you. I have a soul, independent thoughts and feelings. My body was manufactured, yes, but I contain biological components as well. Calling an android a ‘construct’ is considered highly insulting.”

“Sorry,” Emanon said soberly. “I won’t do it again. There’s just so much here I need to learn!”

“Oh and we can’t wait to learn from  _ you _ ,” Jian replied, any hint of offense vanishing in an instant. “Let’s start showing you off!”

Emanon nodded eagerly. “Yes indeed!”

*******

“You really don’t look well,” Karadite said to Arden in her matter-of-fact way of speaking. “Your eyes are bloodshot and you’re moving slower than usual. Also, you stink.”

Arden grimaced. He knew she was telling the truth, but most people would have used a bit of tact.  _ Tact wasn’t listed in her skill sets when you hired her _ , he groaned inwardly. “Is there a point to your observations?” he asked her.

“I just want to know why we’re heading to AbadarCorp when you know perfectly well you should be sleeping,” she answered. “And preferably showering. Pick the order you prefer, but please do both.”

It was shortly after their meeting with the others at the hotel, and Arden felt like he had a duty to report in with his latest findings. He’d learned clues about the mastermind behind the plot, that there was a traitor on the Council itself, and that there were far more Allips than they had realized. This was information that he desperately hoped AbadarCorp could put to use right away to help restore order to the station.

He was especially concerned with the puzzle of why one of those Allips had apparently possessed a kasatha and turned him into an assassin. If the Allips were trying to protect the identity of the person or group behind the Starstone attack, that meant that their actions were probably far less random than they had believed.

Arden sighed, “I know, I know. And honestly I do appreciate your concern, but the information we’ve gathered is of vital importance and I need to be debriefed right away. I’ll sleep when I’m finished.” He wasn’t actually sure she was concerned, but he’d decided to just assume she was and go along with the notion.

The tram pulled into the Abadar Corporate Temple station. Arden and Karadite disembarked and headed to the surface, passing through a crowd of customers, religious devotees, and AbadarCorp personnel. AbadarCorp was both a religious institution and a corporate power. Abadar was, above anything else, a god of business. His temples and offices were one and the same, and AbadarCorp sold anything and everything of value, not only within the Pact, but throughout star systems across the Vast. And the nexus of all of it was the headquarters on Absalom Station.

If Abadar stood for anything among his followers, it was stability, order, and profit. And right now, that stability was threatened. As a follower as well as an employee, Arden had faith that Abadar and his officers would take all necessary actions to restore it. He just hoped they could succeed quickly, whatever they ended up doing.

“Do you want me to wait for you here?” Karadite asked.

Arden shook his head. “No, that’s fine. You can head back to your place if you want. Keep your comm open in case I call. And Karadite, thanks for your help today. I never would’ve found the tech on my own, and I’m glad you were there when things started heating up.”

Karadite remained silent. Arden thought she’d just leave without saying anything else. He’d known her to do that. But she suddenly looked at him and said, “I’m glad you weren’t hurt.” Then she returned to the stairs leading into the station, leaving Arden to wonder if she’d finally decided they were friends, or was just glad she still had him as an employer.

_ That android is a complete mystery to me, _ Arden thought to himself. _ And reading people is basically my only qualification for what I do _ .

Arden walked around to the temple entrance where the faithful of Abadar came to pray, rather than the corporate entrance. As a spy, he wasn’t expected to use that one. Instead of an employee, he looked like one of the many worshippers coming to meditate on the virtues of duty and order, sing hymns about devotion and commerce, or attend one of the free personal finance classes. 

The monotone chanting lifted his spirits, as usual, as did the precisely ordered black and white currency symbols on each of the tiles. There was one to represent each market AbadarCorp had entered, with the symbol for the Pact Worlds credit chip displayed prominently in the center.

Arden made his way to a hidden alcove and pressed his hand against a wall panel to reveal the secret door behind it. He stepped inside the tiny antechamber where a lone security robot guarded a second door. The security robot stood facing him, and revealed the camera in its mouth. It waited for him to announce himself. “Arden Finder to see Director Jeri Fallon. Priority One Briefing.” he said. The security robot closed its mouth, then stepped away from the door, which opened automatically, revealing the elevator behind it.

Arden stepped into the elevator car and waited to see which direction it would take him. Jeri would have him brought to whichever floor was most convenient for her, whether that was near the spire above, or one of the sub basements deep in the bowels of the station. The elevator went down. For some reason, it always felt a little ominous to him when it did that.

Jeri was waiting for him when the doors opened. That was nice. Often she’d have one of her attendants meet him and bring him to a waiting room until she was ready to see him. But he had already told her it was a priority one, so even if she’d been busy with something else, she wouldn’t have made him wait long.

Jeri was in her mid-50’s, with short dark hair and an understated style that bordered on the austere, but it definitely worked for her. Her sharp mind and serious approach had helped her rise through the ranks of the company, to the point where she now oversaw most of the intelligence operations run out of the corporate headquarters. She led him to a briefing room and touched a button to begin recording.

Without pausing, she began the usual briefing introduction. “This is Intelligence Director Jeri Fallon debriefing AbadarCorp spy number 837, Arden Finder. Date is Sarenith 18, 318, and the time is 2:15PM.”

She looked at Arden. “Arden, you said this was a Priority One. Please begin.”

Arden took a deep breath. “I was investigating the Starstone attack,” he said. Jeri’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t interrupt. “The android operative Karadite was able to provide me with the name of a tech from the Starstone maintenance team that had been badly injured and checked into Absalom General. His wounds were consistent with torture. Her opinion, which I shared, was that the team which had attacked the Starstone had compelled him to provide them with the information they needed in order to access the Starstone once they had their security codes.

“The name of the tech is Ernest Hammond. He was in a coma, but I was prepared to interview him telepathically. Karadite and myself made our way to Absalom General hoping to interview him in order to learn clues about the identities of the attackers. Karadite took up a hidden defensive position outside of his room, while I went inside. When I entered, I discovered that Hammond was not alone.

“Standing over Hammond was a vesk male. He was frank with me, admitting to having tortured the tech personally, and having been a member of the team that attacked the Starstone. He told me his name was Veznok, and that he was dying as a result of the radiation emitted by the Starstone blast, which he was very close to. He went on to tell me that they had obtained their security codes from a member of the Council. He specifically said it was a ‘dark-elf bitch’ who helped them.

“When I asked why he would attack the Starstone, and why the councilor would help them, he told me he had been lied to. He had been told that he was operating as a secret soldier for the Veskarium, and that immediately after the attack, the Vesk fleet would begin an invasion. Upon learning that no invasion followed, he became furious and also deeply despondent about what he had done, which was what led him to visit the tech.

“When I asked him who had told him this lie, a sniper suddenly shot him through an interior window of the room. He was very badly wounded, but I was able to use a mystic cure to revive him to consciousness just long enough to answer my question. He identified the mastermind of the operation as a male lashunta, tall, with a habit of wearing black attire, and with a prominent scar below his left eye. He said this lashunta went by the code name of ‘Finisher.’

“Karadite pursued the assassin, a kasatha, out of the building and shot it from behind. When she went to examine its body, an Allip emerged and began traveling in the direction of the park. Based on her description, the Allip appeared to be the corrupted soul of a human, not a product of the kasatha. I joined her as soon as I had finished questioning Veznok, and together we pursued it.

“The Allip joined with another and we ended up in a battle with both of them. I was able to kill one, but the other escaped.”

Jeri’s eyes widened. “You’re not trained in combat,” she said. “Why did you engage in pursuit rather than call security and get them involved?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” he answered. “At the time it felt like what I needed to do. Like the Allip had somehow become my responsibility to handle, since it had attacked my witness.”

“That was unwise of you,” she chided. “You knew you had acquired valuable information. The Allip might have killed you before you could deliver it. For the record I’m glad you defeated them, but I don’t want you taking risks like that.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied.

“Do you have additional information to report?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“Then continue,” she told him.

“After the battle, one of my allies, an ysoki who goes by the name Cheezy, informed me that he had witnessed a swarm of Allips down in the same docking bay my own transport had originally crashed in. Docking Bay 8 on the Western Ring. He was unable to get a precise count, but thinks there could have been around 30.

“Additionally, he noticed that there were distinct variants of the Allips. The first variant we’ve already documented. They appear as the spectres of the recent dead from during the Starstone explosion, including security personnel and residents of the station’s lower levels. The second variant appeared to be pre-Gap races from Golarion, based on his description.

“One of the Allips was then able to hide within his shadow and accompany him up to the Arcanamirium, where it was spotted and possessed the body of a fire elemental dignitary visiting the station. He and two of his associates pursued it. And that was the second Allip from the fight I described earlier.”

“That’s interesting,” Jeri said. “We knew they could possess other living beings, but hiding in a shadow is something I hadn’t realized they could do. The numbers your friend saw are a concern as well. I know that station security has been tracking them wherever they show up, but they tend to disappear before they can get a team together to exterminate them. I’m disturbed to hear there’s so many. I’ll send surveillance to Docking Bay 8 and arrange to have a team ready to move if they’re still there.”

“The sighting was about 4 hours ago,” Arden added. “And I have one last bit of information. There’s an elf on the station who claims to be from pre-Gap Golarion. And according to one of my other friends, the fire elementals we rescued yesterday are also claiming to be from a point in time when Golarion was still present in our system.”

“I had a report about both of them, yes,” Jeri said. “The Starstone is a strange and remarkable relic, no question about it. If that’s everything you came to report, we can deactivate the recording.”

Arden nodded. She tapped a button on the panel. “Ok Arden, it’s just us now. What the  _ hells _ were you thinking going that far off-assignment like that?”

Arden had been bracing for this moment. “I needed to know who’d murdered all those people, ma’am. I lost my objectivity.”

“I’ll say you did,” she told him. “We have investigators working on this, Arden. You’re not one of them. The lead Karadite provided you with was solid, clearly. But you should have passed it on to us, not investigated it yourself. And possessed or not, that kasatha she killed had a clan, and they’re going to be extremely upset about its demise. I’ll need you to file a separate incident report about that, as she was acting under your orders.”

Arden nodded. “Yes ma’am.” There wasn’t much else he could say. He knew she was right. 

“And how about the vesk you interviewed,” she continued. “Do you know if he survived?”

Arden shook his head. “I asked Karadite to check on our way here. He was pronounced dead shortly after I left his room.”

“Damn,” Jeri said. “I suppose it’s not surprising, given the condition he was in, but I wish we could’ve asked him some more follow-up questions.”

Arden nodded sadly. He would’ve liked the same opportunity. "What about the dark elf?" he asked, seeking a change of subject. "I'm pretty sure he meant Councilor Jerrilyn Nanh."

Jeri made a disgusted noise. "I don't know what that woman-” she stopped whatever she was about to say as the lights in the room went off. “This is new,” she said.

“Was there another EM pulse?” Arden asked, concerned.

Jeri reached into her pocket for something and pulled it out. A glow began illuminating her face. “My datapad wasn’t affected, and it has less shielding than the power systems down in the briefing room. So not an EM pulse, no.”

“This facility wasn’t too badly affected by the Starstone incident, was it?” Arden asked.

“No, not really,” Jeri confirmed. “And what systems were damaged were all repaired. Something must be interfering with the power flow.”

Arden was thoughtful. “They’d been warning that we could see disruptions in water, power, and environmental control as some of the systems closer to the Starstone are undergoing repair, but the effects should be short, just long enough for backup systems to take over.”

As if on cue, the lights flickered back to life.

“At least it didn’t happen during the briefing itself,” Jeri said. “Would’ve been inconvenient to split it into separate recordings.”

“Yeah, good thing,” Arden agreed vaguely, still distracted by the power failure. He tried to remember what they were talking about before. “You were telling me about Councilor Nanh?” he prompted.

“Right,” Jeri said in obvious distaste. “No need to worry about her. I don’t know how she imagined she was going to get away with providing those access codes. Every time an access code is generated, the activity is logged. Between forging, sloppily, the security clearance test results, using her own access chip, and having her personal secretary authorize the access code generation, we had a trail a mile wide pointing at her. At least with your independent corroboration she won't be able to claim she was framed. You'll definitely be called up as a witness at her trial, by the way."

Arden nodded. "She probably assumed her connections with the weapons manufacturers, plus the distraction of a war with the Veskarium, would have made it too politically difficult to bring her up on charges, while making her incredibly wealthy. So what happens to her now?" Arden asked.

Jeri nodded in agreement at his surmise. "Well, she's fled the station, for all the good it’ll do her. The Stewards are getting ready to take her in now. You'll see her back here shortly, crammed into a very small cell until we decide how to execute her."

"Harsh, but fair, in her case," Arden said approvingly. "Can you arrange for me to get notified when she's about to arrive?"

"You'd probably like that to be an exclusive tip too, wouldn't you?" Jeri asked.

"That would be ideal, obviously," he admitted.

"Sorry Arden, just watch the itineraries of incoming transports," she told him. "You've already got more inside knowledge than any other reporter. If you want the first picture when they bring her in, you'll have to work for it."

Arden mentally filed a note to have Karadite run a search for any Steward vessels approaching with a classified manifest. That thought reminded him that he still needed to see if he could keep her on a little longer. "One more thing, Jeri. About Karadite," Arden began.

"The answer is no," she said, cutting him off before he could finish. "You can’t keep her on the payroll.”

His face fell at her words, but he didn’t try to argue. Jeri tried to soften the blow. “This is for your own good, Arden. When was the last time you slept?"

"I've closed my eyes a few times since the crash, but no, haven't actually slept," he admitted. 

"You're not on any active assignments," she reminded him. "AbadarCorp isn't paying Karadite's fees anymore. She's a useful asset, but you don't need her to do your day job. Go back to reporting the news. Leave the hero work to those who’ve trained for it."

"Yes ma'am," he replied, disappointment in his tone.

"And get some sleep before you pass out."

"Yes ma'am."

Arden showed himself out while Jeri prepared her report.

*******

The former waste-processing facility hadn’t been used in centuries. New technology had made it obsolete barely a decade after it had first been built, but the concentration of toxic metals had ensured that the site would be too expensive to simply tear down and build something else out of. And besides, the gangs who ran the place had no trouble putting it to other uses. So it sat, an ancient monument to the decay that awaits all things brought about by the effort of mortals.

Finisher had little concern about the gang members he knew guarded the place now. They might not be happy to see him, but there wasn’t anything they could do to  _ stop  _ him from seeing her. He walked with confidence to the gated entrance.

“You can’t be here right now,” a burly human man told him, pointing a snub-nosed pistol at his chest for emphasis.

Finisher dazed the man with an almost bored expression and continued walking. “Take him,” he said. One of several shadows detached itself from Finisher’s own and went into the human. His eyes turned completely black, and without speaking, he fell into step beside the lashunta.

They reached a tall steel barrier with a faded “No Trespassing” sign hanging off of it. “Does this man have the access code to the gate?” Finisher asked without turning his head.

Unspeaking, the human walked to the gate’s control pad and presented a worn-looking access badge while holding his palm against a scanner. The gate made a rattling sound as it slid to the side, allowing passage.

“Wait for me here,” Finisher said as he walked through. He wanted to be sure he could get back out, and he had no further need for the man’s assistance. The man stood exactly where he was, and Finisher knew he’d remain there until commanded otherwise.

The building he needed sat off to his right, and he began walking toward it. “Go on ahead and make sure no one interrupts us,” Finisher said. Four shadows detached this time. Finisher watched them float ahead and scanned his surroundings while he gave them time to follow his orders.

He hadn’t been to this location yet. The Black Skull gang had only recently won her services, or so she had led them to believe. As a working office, he had to admit it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t too far from the Starstone, but far enough that any damage had been too minor to bother about. Her parlor would be in the former recycling station where useful metals had once been separated from their less valuable substrates - not a bad metaphor for her current work.

The sound of screams told Finisher that the Allips had completed their task. The guards had either been killed, driven mad, or forced to flee. Which outcome they suffered mattered not in the least to him. The four Allips he’d sent ahead returned to him a few moments later, and he took a moment to exhilarate in the rush of power their return always made him feel.

He walked to the building’s entrance. It contained a huge funnel leading into the roof, presumably where the waste would have been dumped in. A door at ground level would have allowed maintenance personnel or robots to perform repairs, but it was too small to allow more than one person to enter at a time.  _ She’s thinking defensively _ , he noted.  _ Good _ . Easier for him to deal with anyone who’d dare to interrupt.

The door was locked, but that was no surprise, and a simple knock spell opened it to his touch. He walked onto a narrow conveyor belt that ran through the center of the facility, between the highly-slanted surfaces to either side that would have directed the detritus onto it. He climbed up and over a mechanical separator at the end of the belt to reach the sorting station that she had turned into her new living and working quarters.

“Took you long enough to find me,” she said as he approached her table.

“The Black Skulls were happy enough to share that you had selected them,” Finisher explained. “But they were less forthcoming with your location.”

“I suppose that’s not surprising, considering.” She eyed the many shifting shadows at his feet. “How are you enjoying your new friends?” she asked idly.

“They are useful,” he conceded diplomatically. “But a poor consolation prize compared to the one I had intended.”

“If you had done as I’d instructed, you wouldn’t need them.”

“The connections with the Starstone were too powerful to remove,” Finisher said bitterly. “It cracked rather than divert its power for me.”

“So that’s it then?” she asked. “You’ve given up?”

“Never!” Finisher answered fiercely, his eyes bulging wide.

“That’s good,” she said. “I was afraid my prophecy had been given to the wrong person.”

Finisher waited for her to continue. She stood up and poured herself some tea. She indicated the pot as if to offer him some, but he shook his head. Then she sat back down with her cup and drank. After several seconds, her eyes became unfocused and began to glow.

“The tool that broke the Starstone can also mend it. The one who can mend it may possess it. Six points of connection shall be severed. A seventh shall remain fast. The shell shall be opened and the power shall be grasped. Then shall the seeker shed mortality to walk among the gods as their equal.” The glow faded from her eyes and she sat back in her chair looking drained.

“So that’s it then?” Finisher asked. “The Starstone reactor only has 6 connection points to the stone itself. What is the 7th connection that must be left intact?”

“I tell you the prophecies as I receive them,” she replied coolly, rubbing her eyes. “It’s not my job to decipher them.”

“Well the tool is easy enough to understand,” Finisher said thoughtfully. “I still have it back at my lab.”

“Wonderful,” she said sarcastically. “You’re halfway there already. I assume you know the way out.”

*******

Nevaz returned by himself to the  _ Myriad _ . He’d had about enough of crowds up in the Archive and needed some peace and quiet. Lili, Jian, and Emanon had all remained above, still busily gathering information with the Dataphiles, and thrilled to be doing it. Nevaz thought about Emanon again, not for her strange arrival so much as her odd personality. She lived for the joy of performing and being the center of attention. And she didn’t seem to have any fear of strangers, even if the stranger happened to be a 240 cm lizard towering over her and everyone else. She’d taken to everyone she’d met as if they had already been friends for years.

Nevaz had met a non-drow elf once before, and to describe the experience as off-putting would be an understatement. The woman hadn’t even taken off her mask to talk to him, and had barely said 6 words in the exchange. She hadn’t been hostile, exactly, but she’d made it quite clear that beyond their immediate business (she’d needed to download some stellar data he’d gathered on assignment as part of her research), she had no further interest in him.

There was a reason the lighter-skinned elves called themselves the Forlorn. For them, The Gap wasn’t ancient history. With their long lifespans, many of them  _ remembered _ it. Or rather, remembered the moment they lost all of their memories at once. The dark elves, the drow, had managed to move on, thrusting themselves into their own work and commerce, but the rest of elven society had turned completely inward, shutting out all others. The Forlorn were those rare, few elves who traveled among the other races, seeking out information about The Gap, but rarely interacting with anyone besides their own kind. He’d heard once before that the elves had somehow become convinced that The Gap was the result of some great betrayal, and vowed never to let themselves become too trusting of any other race ever again.

The thought of an elf being as open and friendly as Emanon gave him an idea of just how different the elves once were, and the contrast was shocking. Nevaz was used to being the only one of his kind in most situations he found himself in. He didn’t particularly like it, but he could function. He was never comfortable though. And he’d gotten so used to being uncomfortable that he’d forgotten there was anything unusual about it.

But Emanon  _ thrived _ on being the only one of her kind in a situation. She wasn’t just friendly, she seemed to literally draw energy from the attention her peculiarity aroused. Nevaz wished he could do the same, but the curious looks  _ he _ got were rarely ones of fascination, and typically ones of fear.

Nevaz decided to make himself some tea. He picked up Jian’s tablet and went back through her work on the sensors while letting it steep. In the commotion at the Archive, he’d completely forgotten to ask about the matter composition scanner’s odd behavior. He wondered whether she’d figured that mystery out before stumbling upon the more pressing one about the sudden re-emergence of Golarian data. Shrugging, he put the matter out of his mind and looked at the gravitational scanner’s dying burst of data again, puzzling over it.

The scanner itself was a fairly hardy bit of equipment. He’d personally used it to look for fast graviton pulses from a black hole. Micro-fluctuations in background gravitational fields shouldn’t have been sufficient to put it out of commission. And Jian had said  _ every _ gravitational scanner on Absalom Station had suffered the same fate. It was sensitive technology, but it was designed to operate in extreme conditions. After all, that was where the data tended to be the most interesting.

He set the tablet down and sipped at his tea. The more he considered it, the stranger the situation with the scanner seemed. By the time it had reached the ship, the average strength of the gravity pulse was a mere 0.007g, well below what he could even feel. The instrument was sensitive, but it wasn’t going to break for something like that. And yet it had.

He sat down and called up the raw data. Instead of looking at the pattern of waves drawn out for him, he looked at the electrical pulses from the interferometer arrays themselves, trying to see if there were any anomalies that could explain the damage they took.

Nevaz instructed the computer to begin running a search for signals at the extreme end of the sensor’s ability to measure, to look at what was actually going on from the instrument’s point of view. After a few moments, the computer returned a set of data at nanosecond resolution that showed surprisingly strong readings. The pulse that the Starstone produced apparently consisted of rapid bursts of gravity far higher than anyone had realized. He expanded one of the strongest pulses, and found that only one of the interferometer readings had even measured it at all. The actual length of the pulse had to have been less than 0.1 nanoseconds to produce that result, otherwise more than one of the diffractors would have caught it.

At that scale, the pulse would have been undetectable to an observer, just a blip in the background. But for the gravitational sensor, well, he could see for himself the damage it had done.

He ran through some of the other readings, trying to get a sense of how many of these signals there were, and how strong they had to have been. The amount of data they had collected in just 3 seconds turned out to be vastly more than he had first appreciated. When he finally felt like he had enough to model it, he began inputting his findings into an algorithm.

He was slow and careful while he worked, not wanting to risk making an error. But in the end, he still had to check his results several times before he was sure he hadn’t fed them in wrong. At the extreme edge of detectability, he found a pulse equivalent to 10 million times the normal force of gravity, lasting less than 14 picoseconds (how much less, he didn’t have the data to say). The error bars on his calculations were suitably wide, but even at the low end, the pulse had to have been at least 6 million gravities, and at the high end, could have been as much as 15 million.

_ Small wonder every gravitational sensor on the station broke _ ! Nevaz thought to himself in a mix of astonishment and horror.

He sat and pondered his data some more, trying to make sense of it.  _ How much mass would be required at that distance to produce that much gravity, ordinarily _ ? he wondered.

He ran through the familiar equations, plugging in gravitational acceleration and distance, and solving for mass. The math was simple enough, but the answer made him pause. His ship was just under 2 kilometers from the Starstone. He knew that much. For an object at that distance to produce that much gravitational force would ordinarily require a mass between 4 and 9 million million million million kilograms.

Nevaz knew he shouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet, but he couldn’t help himself. There was only one thing he could think of that happened to match up with that amount of mass. 

_ Dear Iomedae,  _ he thought in amazement.  _ I think I just found Golarion _ !

*******


	8. Meetings and Introductions

Karadite stopped at a cafe on her way home, ordering a flaky pastry filled with some type of fruit jelly. Although Androids had no need to breathe, they did require small amounts of food and regular sleep to maintain their organic components, and the last thing she’d consumed had been a mug of Thulian tea at Nevis’s bar several hours ago.

As she got closer to her apartment, the damage from the attack became more and more apparent. Here and there she saw floating holograms warning that this or that particular building was no longer safe to enter.  _ So the building inspectors have finally come around _ , she noted. She hoped her own building hadn’t been condemned, but she suspected it had taken a lot of damage. If she had to go to one of the shelters, she would, but it would make it much more difficult to do her work.

When she eventually arrived on her own street, her fears were confirmed. “Condemned” read the sign floating in the air in front of the entrance. She saw Alyssa, the neighbor who had cared for her cat while she’d been away, out front talking with some of the other residents newly displaced from their building. Alyssa had a couple of bags in front of her, as well as a pet carrier Karadite recognized.

“Karadite!” she greeted, when the Android came into view. “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to get in when you finally finished whatever you were working on, so I went ahead and got this little furball from your apartment. I was just about to call you.”

Karadite smiled on seeing Fuzzy in the carrier, looking about her surroundings and meowing curiously. “Hey there, little quadruped,” she said sweetly. Fuzzy stuck a paw through one of the grates on the carrier and meowed up at her in greeting.

“So what’s the word on the apartment building?” Karadite asked her neighbor as she idly allowed Fuzzy to play with her fingers through the grate.

“They’ve told us to gather up what we can carry, then head to one of the shelters,” Alyssa said mournfully. “The building’s foundations are too badly damaged for it to maintain structural integrity. They don’t think it’s in imminent danger of collapse, but it’s no longer habitable.”

Karadite’s building was one of hundreds built on their level. It was squat, functional, and precisely 20 meters high, same as every other residence building. The building itself wasn’t part of the station, though an unknowing observer would be excused for thinking it was. It was built between the floor and ceiling of their level, anchored at top and bottom to the station itself. The building would either stand or collapse independently of the station, and the inspectors clearly feared the latter was now too probable for a habitation.

“Are they going to repair it?” Karadite asked.

Alyssa shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not sure they’ve decided. They’re saying some of the buildings will have to be torn down and replaced, while others might be able to be reinforced and repaired where they stand. Depends on what they find, I guess.”

Karadite sighed. “I guess I’d better go gather what I can. Funny how I was just thinking about how much I’d need to replace. But with nowhere to put anything, I guess I won’t have to.”

She walked past the holographic warning and headed up to her apartment on the third floor. After a month of traveling and working on Arden’s investigation, she’d finally gotten just one single night’s sleep back in her own bed. And now she was homeless.

She’d never thought about risks associated with living near the Starstone. It was just a power source, nothing more, as far as she'd been concerned. The neighborhood was a little rough, but the gangs kept things under control to a degree. If anyone got to be too disruptive, they dealt with it, without ever involving station security. And Karadite had learned at a young age how to look out for herself. She rented her apartment directly from the station - specifically the buildings commission that maintained the residences - and prices down in The Spike were reasonable, allowing her to save most of her income. One day soon she’d have enough to buy her own ship and travel anywhere she wanted.

But now she had this to deal with. How was she supposed to go live in one of the shelters? Like, literally,  _ how _ was this going to work? Half of her possessions were either too valuable to keep anywhere besides a safe, or considered illegal, and would never make it through even a casual inspection. In the case of her personal computer, it was both. She made a frustrated noise as she stuffed her possessions into a large bag.

In the end, she knew she looked foolish as she walked outside struggling under the weight of a pair of bulky sacks containing clothes, weapons, electronics, and Fuzzy’s supplies.

“You need help with that?” one of her neighbors asked, a burly-looking human with a tattoo on his right arm identifying him as one of the Snake Lords.

“Probably,” Karadite said. “But not from you.”

The man looked offended for a moment, then broke out into a wide gap-toothed grin. “Oh come on, I know better than to steal from  _ you _ , sweetheart,” he joked. “We’re neighbors!”

“No need to tempt you into doing something monumentally stupid,” Karadite shot back. “And be mindful who you call ‘sweetheart,’ as I assume you prefer your legs attached to your torso.” The gang member just laughed at her threat, but he didn’t bother her again. 

Karadite managed to get her possessions outside, then set them in front of her with a thump. Alyssa was already leaving, but she caught sight of Karadite one last time and waved her goodbyes. Karadite returned the wave, then looked down at Fuzzy, still confused about her new situation in the carrier.

“So what do you think we should do, little feline?” Karadite asked her pet. “Think Arden can put us in another hotel, like he did back on Nightarch?”

Her comm notified her of an incoming call. She looked down and saw it was Arden. “Odd timing,” she said to Fuzzy. She accepted the call and Arden’s face appeared in front of her. “What is it?” she asked him.

“I have some bad news,” he began. “I need you to send me a final invoice for your services, and then our business is concluded.”

_ Damnit _ ! she cursed inwardly. Aloud, all she said was, “You’ll have it within the hour. See that it’s paid promptly. Karadite-”

“Karadite, don’t hang up yet,” Arden said, in the annoying tone he always used when he apologized. “I just want to say that I really am sorry to have to end it this way. You were a huge help, and I’m going to miss working with you. This wasn’t my decision.”

Karadite was about to make a cutting remark, but she stopped herself. Instead, she said, “No apologies necessary. Good luck, Arden. Karadite out.”

She disconnected the comm and looked around, deciding what she’d do next. Getting Arden to put her in a hotel was clearly out of the question, and without his corporate masters pulling strings she couldn't, she wouldn't be able to get a room at any price. They were all booked.

Even moving was going to be a hassle. Carrying her things out of the apartment had been difficult. Carrying them, plus Fuzzy, wasn’t going to be feasible at all. And if she couldn’t stay at either a hotel or one of the shelters, then she didn’t even have a destination in mind. If she didn’t want to stay and sleep where she was, she needed to come up with a plan.

She glowered in the direction of Snake Lord tattoo guy.  _ Ok _ , she thought to herself, _ it’s unpleasant, but it would probably work _ . “Hey Steve,” she yelled at him. He turned around, surprise evident on his face.

“You know my name?” he asked, pointing at himself with a puzzled expression.

“I research all of my neighbors,” she stated matter-of-fact. “Your name is Steve Busko, and you’ve lived in this part of The Spike since your family moved here when you were 10. I know everyone you’ve dated, robbed, or borrowed money from. And by the way, it’s a little weird how many people wind up in all three categories.”

He looked indignant. “Why you little-” he began.

“Spare me,” she said, cutting him off. “You asked if I needed help moving my things. I’ve decided that I do. Your gang runs a storage service that doesn’t ask too many questions, is that right?”

“You’re the one who’s done her homework, answer your own question,” he spat back.

“Fine,” she said irritably. “I already knew the answer anyway. I need a place to keep my things for a while. Help me out and I’ll owe you a favor. Be an asshole about it and everyone you’ve ever dated, robbed, or borrowed money from will know exactly how to find you. And you know that Sheila’s been trying to collect child support from you for over a year now, don’t you?”

Steve looked embarrassed at this last accusation. “Hey hey, not so loud,” he pleaded, running close enough to speak in a low voice. “Yeah fine, I know a place, ok. Why you gotta be like that?”

Working together, Steve and Karadite managed to get her things into a storehouse 3 levels above. It was an unassuming structure downwind from a waste reprocessing plant, which had the convenient effect of ensuring that most people would avoid the area if they didn’t have business there. She was given an access key and instructions for getting in and out any time she needed her things.

“Now about that favor,” Steve said as they left the facility.

“What is it?” she asked, bracing herself for what would surely be an unpleasant task.

“There’s this girl I like up on the 180th,” he began.

“I feel bad for her already,” Karadite said. Steve scowled. “But do go on,” she prompted.

“I need you to convince her to let me move in with her,” he said. “So I don’t have to go to the shelters.”

She paused, trying to determine whether he was actually serious. “What  _ precisely _ do you think my abilities include, that would make such a favor even remotely feasible?” she finally asked.

Steve shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re a woman.” He looked confused by the question.

“You know what?” she said, “Why not? Let’s call her up, and if she answers, I’ll talk to her.” Karadite had been expecting him to ask her to threaten someone or steal something. Talking to this woman he apparently fancied wasn’t even close to the worst thing he could have requested. Karadite realized that Steve knew almost nothing about her skills, and she could live with that.

“Ok, her name’s Eliza and we’ve dated twice now,” Steve said, preparing her for the conversation. “She works up in The Dome somewhere, but she should be home now. I’ve got the comm all set, just hit send when you’re ready.”

“Really?” Karadite asked, disbelieving. “You’ve seen her twice and you’re asking to move in?”

“See, that’s why I need your help!” he pressed.

“Just stay out of the frame,” she said, waving him off. He walked off to her right and gave her a thumbs up. Karadite rolled her eyes and hit the send button.

After a few seconds, a woman’s face appeared. She had long blond hair and freckles.  _ She must get a lot of sun _ , Karadite noted. She looked to be in her late thirties. “Steve?” she answered. She saw Karadite and a confused expression appeared on her face.

“Hello Eliza,” Karadite said, introducing herself. “I’m one of Steve’s neighbors. My name’s Karadite.”

“Is he ok? He didn’t put me in his comm as his emergency contact did he?” Eliza asked.

“No, Steve’s fine,” Karadite assured her. “Our apartment building has been condemned as a result of the Starstone incident, and he wants to know if he can stay with you.”

“Then why are you the one calling me?” she asked.

“I imagine he expects I’m more convincing, and I owed him a favor,” Karadite answered.

“Is he there now?” she asked. Karadite nodded. “Put him on, please.” Karadite handed the comm to Steve, who took it nervously.

“Hi Eliza,” he said, smiling awkwardly.

“Steve, you’re a fun guy, but no, you can’t move in. I need my own space.” Steve’s face looked heartbroken.

“Look,” she said, relenting a little. “Take me out dancing, show me a good time, and I’ll let you sleep over. But you can’t move your things in, and you have to leave before I go to work.”

Steve pondered this and seemed satisfied. “Yeah, ok. What time should I come pick you up?”

“Be here at 8,” Eliza said. “And dress sharp. See you tonight, Steve.”

“Yeah, ok. Bye Eliza.” He ended the call and looked at Karadite. “Thanks,” he said.

Karadite just shook her head in bewilderment. “Now do  _ me  _ a favor and don’t steal from her, ok?”

He nodded, adding his most innocent - looking smile. "Of course not, sweet… I mean ma'am." She wasn't convinced, but she supposed she couldn't do anything about it anyway.

“We’re even now,” she reminded him. He nodded again and waved goodbye. Karadite picked up Fuzzy’s carrier in one hand, her food in another, and walked off, hoping she hadn’t just consigned some poor woman to a nightmare boyfriend.

*******

Karadite walked into Nevis’s bar after a short walk. Nevis looked up from behind the counter as she entered. “You brought your cat,” he said, pointing. “That mean your apartment got condemned?”

“‘Fraid so,” she replied.

“Least you were able to get your stuff out,” he said consolingly.

“Yeah, true enough,” she responded. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know I’m looking for work again."

“Oh?” Nevis asked in surprise. “I thought you were busy hunting down the people responsible for the Starstone.”

“I thought so too,” Karadite answered. “Got the call from my employer about an hour and a half ago. I’m off the case. I sent him my final invoice already. We’re done working together.”

“Were you making progress?” Nevis asked.

“I certainly thought so,” Karadite said, nodding. “The boss said it wasn’t his decision though. It’s too bad. I liked working for him.”

“In what way?”

“You know most of my clients,” she said. “They usually want me to help them steal something, or suppress some unpleasant secret. And occasionally I’ll take work guarding some rich prick while he’s visiting the station. And money’s money, so I’ll do it. But it was nice working for someone who genuinely seemed to want to make things a little better for everyone, not just for himself.”

“Yeah, but you can’t be too picky or you won’t have any work,” Nevis said with a shrug. Karadite nodded knowingly.

She changed subjects, indicating the pet carrier. “Mind if I let my cat out? She’s been cooped up in there for a while and I don’t think she appreciates it.” Fuzzy had been meowing pitifully at her, and Karadite was feeling guilty, even if she hadn’t really had much choice.

Nevis considered for a moment and then shrugged. “Yeah, go ahead. Just be sure to clean up any messes she makes. The carrier doubles as her waste box, right?”

Karadite nodded. “Right, and she won’t go anywhere else.” She let Fuzzy loose and sat cross-legged on the floor next to her while she explored.

“Karadite,” Nevis said, getting her attention back. “What if we don’t put you back on the job board? What if I hire you myself?”

Karadite looked at him, trying to decide if he was serious. “What kind of work?” she asked.

“You thought you were making progress with the Starstone investigation, right?” he asked her. She nodded. “Well what if you kept doing it, but for me instead of him? He was paying your standard rate, right? I’ll match it.”

Karadite considered this. “I don’t know Nevis. He wasn’t just paying me, he was investigating too. We worked together. He got information from people while I got it from machines. Without his help, I don’t know how far I can get.”

Nevis frowned, “Yeah, I doubt I could help you there, but I’d still appreciate it if you tried.”

“Ok, and suppose I find them. Then what?” Karadite asked. “My previous employer was working for people who could actually use the information and serve justice to those responsible. But me? It’s possible I could deal with them myself, but not likely. I can’t get to people in high places the way they can.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Nevis said. “Tell me when you learn who did it, and if you can’t get to them, I’ll find someone who can. That’ll be my end of our bargain.”

Karadite mulled over this offer, trying to decide if it was worth taking. She did want to find the people responsible for the attack. She’d already swore to herself that she would. Even without Nevis paying her, she’d probably keep investigating on her own, to the extent that she was able. She looked him in the eye. “Alright boss, you’ve got a deal,” she told him.

Nevis smiled approvingly and poured them each a drink.

*******

Lili, Jian, and Emanon had been busy in the Archive for over two hours when the first blackout occurred. It didn’t become completely dark, since the station was still facing the sun and there were windows to let in outside light, but the Archive couldn’t function without power, bringing their operation to a halt.

“How often does this happen?” Emanon asked, looking around in confusion in the suddenly dim room.

“I didn’t think it ever happened,” Jian said with a touch of concern. “The first time was the Starstone incident yesterday. I don’t know why it’s happening now.”

Screams rang out as the gravity suddenly dropped in half. Jian felt as if she were dropping quickly on one of the express lifts. Lili screamed with some of the others at the surprise of it. Jian managed to stifle any sound, while Emanon burst into laughter.

“This feels crazy!” Emanon said, throwing her arms up and laughing some more.

Gravity and power both returned to normal after a few seconds. Lili was wide-eyed and panting, and looked on the verge of tears. Emanon saw the distress she was in and gave her a hug. “Hey, it’s ok,” she said soothingly. “Whatever it was, it’s over now.”

Lili managed to calm down after a moment. “What was that?” she asked Jian in a quiet voice.

“I guess one of the systems that supplies power to the Archive had to be taken offline and we got switched to a backup,” Jian said, sounding doubtful. “They’d said that outages might happen, but I would’ve thought they’d be able to keep the Archive online at all times.”

“Do you think the shutdown caused any harm?” Lili asked.

Jian checked the terminal and ran a diagnostic routine. “Some data might have been corrupted, but the backups are coming online and nothing appears to have been lost. So long as the Cortex doesn’t go down again for a few minutes, everything should be fine.”

“Hey,” Emanon said suddenly. “If that’s the case, then it looks like we have a few minutes before anyone needs to ask me anything. Can we look through the pre-Gap data you’ve uncovered and see if I’m mentioned in any of it?”

Lili laughed, “Out of the scraps we’ve pulled together covering thousands of years where billions of people lived, you’re hoping one of them mentions you?”

Emanon was undeterred, “Better chance that I’m mentioned than  _ you _ .”

Jian didn’t see the harm in checking. “We’ve been storing all the data we’ve been able to collect into a separate section of the Archive. There's not much, so the backup should already be…" she checked the status of the partition. The indicator turned green as she watched. "Yep. Okay, I’ll point the terminal at that partition and run a search.” She entered the sequence of commands necessary to set up the query, then ran it. A moment later, she had a single result. They all looked at it.

“I don’t see my name in the title,” Emanon said. “It’s an article about the Starstone Cathedral?” She frowned, scanning the intro paragraphs.

Jian ran a search within the body and found what she was looking for. “Here it is,” she said.

“It doesn’t say anything about you specifically,” Lili noticed. “It’s just a long list of names that includes ‘Emanon of Greengold.’ Jian, can you scroll up to see what the list is even about?”

Jian scrolled up, bringing the heading into view. Her eyes widened. Beside her, the two women let out a collective gasp. The list was labelled, “Names of Those who Perished in the Trial of the Starstone.”

There was a moment of confused silence. Emanon spoke first. “Well that can’t be me! I never attempted that! I’m not insane, and I don’t want to be anyone’s goddess. It must be someone else with the same name as me. It’s not like I have exclusive rights to it or anything.”

Jian looked at the screen and contemplated the possibility in front of them. “Just because you haven’t done it yet, doesn’t mean you won’t. You still want to go back, right? Maybe you eventually find a way.”

“But why would she attempt the trial if she knew she would die?” Lili asked. “That makes no sense. Even if she might have done it before she saw her name, surely she won’t do it now!”

Emanon nodded vigorously. “She’s right. If I ever do go back, I won’t even set foot in the same vicinity as the Starstone Cathedral. There’s no way that’s me.”

“I’m not so sure,” Jian said slowly. “The Starstone brought you here, Emanon. We’ve been assuming that it was random, but what if it wasn’t? What if the Starstone knew you? We think it’s connected to itself at different points in time, so couldn’t it already know who you are, if you do, in fact, enter the Cathedral someday? Er, did enter it?”

“But that makes no sense,” Emanon argued. “If it was going to bring someone here, why not Aroden, or one of the other mortals who ascended? Why bring one of the losers?”

Jian shook her head. “I don’t know, and I’m not saying it didn’t make a mistake, but I have to wonder if maybe the Starstone brought you here because it thinks you can help it.”

“I don’t know,” Emanon said slowly, either unconvinced or not wanting to be. Then she perked up as a thought occurred to her. “Hey, I’m glad to help out the Archive, but would you mind showing me around the rest of this place? I really want to see everything that ‘Absalom in Space’ has to offer.”

“Ugh, you’re not actually trying to get that name to catch on, are you?” Lili asked.

“If I ever  _ do  _ get back, you can bet your ass that’s what I’m calling this place whenever I tell people about it!”

*******

Thohuko returned to the table where he and Cheezy had been eating an early dinner together. “Lili just called,” he told Cheezy. “She says hi. Apparently she and the elf woman are going to be touring the station tonight, in order to let her see what ‘Absalom in Space’ has to offer.”

“She called it that?” Cheezy asked.

Thohuko smiled and shrugged. “Apparently that’s Emanon’s name for it. They’re staying with Nevaz and Jian aboard their ship. We’re invited to come by and visit later.”

“Sounds crowded,” Cheezy said, as he took another bite of his potatoes.

“Depends on the company,” Thohuko replied. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Nevaz and Jian certainly are an interesting pair though, don’t you think?”

“I’m not one for speculating, if that’s what you’re implying,” Cheezy said with a slight chuckle.

“What? No. Geez!” Thohuko said laughing. “I just meant it seems strange for an android and a vesk to be traveling together, doing whatever it is they do. I guess Jian is Nevaz’s assistant or something?”

“Nope,” Cheezy said with certainty. “She’s the one who keeps their ship flying. The vesk is way too educated to know anything practical.”

“Hey now, there are people who’d call me pretty educated by this point too,” Thohuko protested. “Are you implying that we scholars can’t tie our own shoes?”

“I mean, if someone handed you a set of instructions,” Cheezy teased. Thohuko pantomimed a confused expression at him then laughed along.

“How do you suppose they pay for their ship and supplies, anyway?” Cheezy asked, returning to Nevaz and Jian.

“Nevaz mentioned he’s funded by the Seekers of Lost Golarion,” Thohuko answered. “Strange to see a vesk working for them though. Most of their members come from the races of Golarion, after all.”

“Yeah, you and I probably wouldn’t have much use for them,” Cheezy decided.

“What?” Thohuko shot back. “Travel the void, seeking out clues wherever they could be found? I’d sign on for that!”

“You like space travel?” Cheezy asked, surprised.

“Yeah!” Thohuko answered earnestly. “If I had my own ship, I’d aim it into the black and just keep going. Learn as much as I can along the way. If I ever came back, it’d be to drop off my data and then head back out. If someone like the Seekers would bankroll a guy like me, I’d sign on with them in a heartbeat!”

“Not too many folks with your tastes,” Cheezy said, nodding in agreement. “I understand though. Having a ship of my own meant freedom. You’re probably one of the few people with an inkling of how much it hurt to lose her. Becoming stuck in one place again, at the whims of some other pilot as to when I can finally get away from this Allip-infested place.” Cheezy shuddered involuntarily.

“Sorry,” Thohuko said. “How are you doing anyway? You’ve had a rough couple of days.”

“We all have,” Cheezy sighed. “Mostly, I’m just-”

The lights suddenly went out around them. “Bah, here we go again,” Cheezy sighed.

“Hope we keep normal gravity this time,” Thohuko said nervously.

They both began to feel suddenly lighter. “Nope,” Cheezy noted with annoyance. “Try to keep your cookies down.”

“I wonder how long this one will last,” Thohuko said, glancing at his wrist display.

“The last one was only about a minute,” Cheezy said. “If they’re getting repairs done on schedule, you’d expect they’d be getting shorter.”

They waited in silence, neither willing to say out loud what they both feared: That this time, the outage might be permanent. After a couple of minutes, the gravity returned to normal. A second afterwards, the lights came back on.

“Do you think it was just confined to the campus?” Cheezy asked.

“I hope so,” Thohuko said.

“You know, I’m decent with a pair of pliers and a sonic probe,” Cheezy told him. “I could probably lend a hand. Know where the maintenance crew is?”

“They’re near the center of the campus, in a gray building marked Physical Operations,” Thohuko answered. “Not sure they’d let you bring Dott though,” he said, indicating the combat drone behind Cheezy’s chair.

Cheezy shrugged. “She can wait outside if she needs to. I’ll go see if they have work for me. I’m bored. It’ll take my mind off my troubles.”

Thohuko thought he heard an unintended note of desperation in Cheezy’s tone and decided to walk over with him. “We can both go,” he said.

*******

They reached the Physical Operations building a few minutes later and Cheezy went inside, leaving Dott and Thohuko at the entrance. Thohuko said he had plenty of reading to do, and didn’t mind waiting with her on one of the benches.

Cheezy roamed the hall until he found someone to talk to. “Hey there,” he greeted a male half-orc in maintenance overalls. “What’s the situation with the power failures?”

The half-orc looked at him evenly. “You didn’t hear about the Starstone attack?” he asked sarcastically.

Cheezy let the comment pass. “Look, I’m just here to offer my help. Thought maybe you could use another pair of hands. I’m a decent mechanic and thought you might be busy with all the outages going on. I can handle some of the menial tasks if you don’t trust me with the trickier ones, whatever helps the work go faster.”

The half-orc looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. “The University wasn’t too badly affected by the attack. We’re a good distance from the Starstone up here. What systems were damaged weren’t difficult to repair in the first few hours after the incident.”

Cheezy thought about that for a moment. “So you’re saying the failures up here aren’t because of problems up here?”

The half-orc looked at him again and sighed. “I’m not supposed to tell people about this, but you seem like a good guy, coming up here and offering to help.” He hesitated a moment before speaking again, looking over his shoulder as he did. “The Starstone isn’t sending reliable power through the reactors,” he said, finally. “And it’s getting worse. All the maintenance crews know about it, but we’ve been asked not to tell the public, for fear of starting a panic.”

Cheezy absorbed this information in silence. There were over 2 million people on Absalom Station. Without the Starstone to power it, the residents were doomed.

“I shouldn’t have told you that,” the half-orc said frowning. “But it’s not a secret a person wants to keep. I hope you’ll be mindful who you tell. If you can arrange passage off this station, you should do it.”

“Do you know how much longer until the entire station loses power?” Cheezy asked.

The half-orc shook his head. “I don’t think anyone knows. At this point, our only hope probably lies with the team trying to figure out how to repair the blasted thing. And nobody even knows if that’s possible.”

Cheezy thanked the maintenance tech and walked back outside, moving more slowly than before.  _ How am I going to get off the station _ ? he wondered.  _ I haven’t got my own ship anymore, and what ships there are will either be way too expensive or just unavailable because they’re tied up transporting emergency supplies and personnel _ .

The  _ Myriad _ sprang to mind, but he knew he’d have to convince Nevaz and Jian. And he wasn’t sure they’d be ready to leave, even with the danger. They seemed like the sort of folks who’d try to stick it out and help.  _ But maybe if things get really bad, they’ll decide to go _ ?

Cheezy was barely paying attention as he headed back out the main entrance. He didn’t notice he’d passed Thohuko until he heard his name being called.

“Cheezy! Yo! Where you going?” Thohuko was yelling.

Cheezy looked up with a start then waved. “Oh, sorry Thohuko,” he said. “Just distracted.”

Thohuko noticed the worry in his expression. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “You weren’t in there for very long.”

Cheezy nodded. “Yeah, they didn’t have anything for me to do.”

“So what’s got you so distracted?” Thohuko asked.

Cheezy sighed and sat down beside Dott before answering. “It’s not good, Tho. The power failures aren’t stemming from problems up here. It’s not due to ‘backup systems’ taking over, like they’ve been saying.”

“The Starstone?” Thohuko supplied. Cheezy just nodded.

“Well, I know the Arcanamirium has their very best scientists and engineers working on the problem,” Thohuko said reassuringly. “They’ve been studying it for centuries. If anyone can fix it, they can.”

“That’s  _ if _ anyone can fix it,” Cheezy replied. “You were just saying how much you wanted to travel. Maybe you and I could find a spot on one of those transports bringing in supplies? I think they’re taking passengers on their return trips. I think we should try it.”

Thohuko looked thoughtful. “I don’t know,” he began. “I’ve heard some of those passengers are cashing in their life savings to get those seats. I don’t have that many credits. You?”

Cheezy shook his head. “Nah, man. Everything I had of value was lost with my ship.” Dott beeped at him reproachfully. Cheezy chuckled. “My bad,” he said apologizing to the drone. “I got my most valuable possession out with me, but I don’t think I can use her to book passage anywhere.” Dott beeped again, sounding mollified.

“Want to talk to the team working on the repair?” Thohuko suggested. “I saw them filing into the dining hall as we were leaving. They’re probably still there.”

“You think they’d tell us how it’s going?” Cheezy asked, sounding skeptical.

Thohuko shrugged. "They might.”

Cheezy threw up his hands and sighed. “Alright," he said. "But you do all the talking. Technically, I don’t think I’m even supposed to be here.”

*******

Finding the repair team turned out to be trickier than Thohuko had expected. He was sure he'd seen them file in together, standing out as they did for being both too old to be students and wearing outfits too informal to mark them as professors. But he didn't see them at any of the tables.

He walked over to one of the kitchen staff, a human female. Cheezy stayed by the entrance with Dott, trying to remain inconspicuous. “Excuse me,” Thohuko said. “I thought I saw the Starstone repair team walk into the dining hall a little while ago. Do you know which way they went?”

She looked at him skeptically. “You’re a student, I’m guessing?” Thohuko nodded.

“They’re here, but they’re not available for anyone to just walk up and pester them,” she informed him coolly. “Do you have urgent information for them, or…” she trailed off waiting for him to explain himself.

“I just wanted to see how the plan was shaping up,” Thohuko said lamely.

“They’re in one of the conference rooms adjacent to the hall,” she said. “Just because they have to eat doesn’t mean they stop working. I’ve seen their whiteboard. Good luck to anyone who can figure out what they’re talking about.”

Thohuko brightened a little. “I’d like to see that actually. Think they’d mind if I just peeked through a window?”

She shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you,” she said. “But you certainly wouldn’t be the first.” She pointed over her shoulder, “third room on your right as you walk toward the South common area exit. There’s a big window looking out into the dining area. If they don’t have the privacy screen engaged, then I guess you’re free to look. Try not to distract them though.” She turned back to her work, refilling the ingredients tray for the chef robots.

“Uh, thanks,” Thohuko said. She waved a hand at him but didn’t turn around again.

Thohuko walked back over to Cheezy. “What you get?” Cheezy asked.

“Well, I know where they are,” Thohuko began. “Might not get a chance to ask how they’re doing though. But hey, want to go look at an impressively complicated whiteboard?”

Cheezy sighed. “That might be the most boring thing anyone has ever invited me to do.”

Thohuko nodded in agreement, then asked, “You got anything better to do?”

Cheezy shrugged. “Well, I already clipped my toenails last night, so, no. Not really.”

Thohuko led the way, following the directions the kitchen staff member had provided. Cheezy tagged along riding Dott, not giving any indication of interest, but apparently not wanting to be left behind either.

Thohuko found the room easily enough and peeked through the outer window with Cheezy. The plates of food looked mostly untouched, save for a few members absently chewing as they stared off into the distance, looking lost in their own thoughts. Most of the members had broken into a couple of groups. Thohuko couldn't hear anything, but they appeared to be having animated conversations. There were 12 of them in the room: 3 lashunta, 3 humans, a kasathan, a ryphorian, a pair of androids, an ysoki, and a drow.

Cheezy pointed at the whiteboard off in the corner. "Mean anything to you?" he asked. Thohuko looked at it. The whiteboard had a crude drawing of the Starstone reactor chamber, with two blobs inside that he presumed represented the fragments they'd detected. There were numbers and arrows and equations filling up every available space, several of them underlined or circled for emphasis. Thohuko recognized most of the units of measure and a couple of the equations, but taken together it was a glorious jumble of unintelligibility he couldn't begin to wrap his brain around.

"It's probably for the best that I'm not on the team," Thohuko chuckled with a touch of self-deprecating humor. "Maybe if I had a few advanced degrees in… whatever fields apply here…"

They were about to leave when the door opened and one of the members who'd been eating by himself walked out - a tall lashunta with close-cropped hair and a dark labcoat. His face was pitted and scarred, giving him a rough appearance, but he smiled encouragingly at the both of them. "Could you make heads or tails of it?" he asked, pointing at the whiteboard.

Cheezy shook his head vigorously.

Thohuko shrugged, "Not really. I recognized the matter to energy equation and Peele's formula for finding electrical resistance through a randomized magic field, but not much else."

The other lashunta chuckled, "I'm not sure there's too much else on there that I understand myself. You're a technomancer, I'd venture?"

"Still in training," Thohuko replied modestly.

"Not much chance you'd recognize Peele's if you weren't," the lashunta said approvingly. "I'm Zhifae, by the way. And you are?"

"Wait, Zhifae Uluas, author of the Silurian Dilemma?" Thohuko asked.

"Among other texts, yes. You've read it?"

Thohuko flushed, "Yes! Your theories on harnessing energy through molecular rearrangement changed the entire field of Quantum Divination. It's such an honor to meet you!"

"I'm always pleased to meet an admirer of my work," Zhifae said, smiling. "But you have the advantage of me. You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Oh, right. I'm Thohuko Osh," he answered. "And down here trying not to be noticed is my friend Cheezy." The ysoki waved awkwardly. 

Zhifae paused for a moment. "Your name is familiar for some reason." A look of recognition crossed his face. "You wouldn’t happen to be that new student who oversaw the transport of those fire elementals that suddenly appeared yesterday, would you?"

Thohuko nodded. “You heard about that?”

Zhifae’s antennae perked up excitedly. “Of course! That took real initiative, not to mention courage! Were you aware that they had been attacked by Allips earlier that same day, not long after their arrival?”

Thohuko grinned and shuffled his feet nervously. “Actually, yeah. I was there for that too.”

Cheezy finally broke his silence, “The boy’s being modest. He pretty much killed all three of the Allips single-handedly. The rest of us basically just watched, for all the help we were.”

Zhifae looked at the ysoki, as if noticing him for the first time. “You were both there?” he asked. They nodded. He looked back at Thohuko, “and is this account true?”

Thohuko stood a little straighter. “The fire elementals themselves got some good attacks in, and I think you managed to hit one of the Allips, didn’t you, Cheezy? But it’s probably true that I more than carried my weight in that particular fight.”

Cheezy rolled his eyes. “Oh gods, you’re hopeless. You were the only one who resisted their hypnosis attack, and your magic missiles basically shredded the Allips. Without you we would’ve died. Don’t try to downplay it.”

“Nevaz resisted too,” Thohuko corrected.

“Ugh, so not the point,” Cheezy said, exasperated.

Zhifae listened to the exchange with an expression of deep interest. “You know,” he said after a moment, “I’ve always said that mastering all the theory in the world is useless without the will to act. The team inside, they’re brilliant, I’ll admit, but they’re not men and women of action. It’s that dare to try new things that truly separates the good scholars from the great ones. I’m going to have my eye on you, young Thohuko. I foresee greatness on the path ahead of you. Don’t forget I told you that.”

“Thank you sir,” Thohuko said, feeling a rush of pride at the older lashunta’s words.

“If you like,” Zhifae said, a thought seeming to pop into his head. “I could introduce you to the team. I’m sure they’d love to meet the student who not only transported the famous elementals, but rescued them in the first place.”

“Oh, uh, they look really busy,” Thohuko said, doubtfully.

“Yes, they  _ look _ busy, don’t they?” Zhifae muttered. “We’ve been going in circles, more or less, for the last several hours. Until we have better data on the Starstone’s condition, or better yet direct access to it, there isn’t a lot more we can do. At this point we’re just throwing out guesses at each other trying to justify the budget the council’s given us. Trust me, they’ll love having a bright young student to throw their ideas at. It really doesn’t even matter if you understand anything they say at this point. Just nod politely and you’ll be fine.”

"What do you think, Cheezy?" Thohuko asked his friend.

"You should go for it, just don't expect me to follow. This is your scene, not mine." The ysoki stepped backwards a pace as if to emphasize the point.

"Ok," Thohuko said to Zhifae. "I would love to meet them."

Zhifae gave him a hearty slap on the back. "Excellent!" he declared. "I can tell we're going to become friends." The two of them walked into the room together. "Maybe I'll even tell you about the time I nearly blew up my own lab," he said jovially.

Thohuko grinned as the door shut behind them.

*******


	9. The Gods Must Be Desperate

## An Unexpected Arrival - Elf from Ancient Golarion Just Wants an Audience

**_Arden Finder_ **

**_Pact Worlds Newswire Service_ **

The Starstone attack two days ago has caused untold suffering for Absalom Station, yet there has been one unlooked for benefit no one could have imagined. In what many are calling miraculous, the station has been graced by an elf from Ancient Golarion itself. Her name is Emanon, and it's a safe bet you'll be hearing it a lot in the days ahead.

From her perspective, just two days ago, she was walking over a bridge on the ancient world of Golarion when a bolt of energy transported her from her world to ours. With no context to tell her otherwise, she supposed she was in the afterlife. According to her, "I assumed I was in Elysium, and that I was in a room that had been prepared for me, awaiting whatever judgment I’d earned in my years of life.”

In reality, she'd arrived in one of the executive suites at the Hanging Gardens Hotel, and they had absolutely no idea she was checking in.

After a confusing first few hours, they fed her, gave her a bed, and let her tour their famed jungle gardens. But the true momentousness of her arrival wasn't appreciated until she met up with one of the other hotel guests, a visiting scholar named Lilin Arn.

Arn was enchanted at the opportunity to meet Emanon, at first assuming her to be a member of one of the new races to occasionally show up at Absalom Station. But the truth was even more amazing. As she described it, “I’ve heard of elves of course, but I’d never actually met one. And when it turned out she was from Golarion, I couldn’t believe it. She’s a living historical record suddenly brought to life!”

Their meeting nearly ended in disaster, however, when they were attacked by two hotel security guards who had been possessed by a couple of the Allips that, unfortunately, the Starstone also brought to Absalom Station. They were rescued by a team of station residents who had been pursuing the Allips when they ventured out into the open (in the interest of full disclosure, this reporter was one of that group).

Luckily, no one was seriously hurt in the attack, and of course I’m grateful that it gave me the chance to meet the mysterious Emanon, but it did serve as an unwelcome reminder that the dangers to the station haven’t gone away.

Following the scuffle, Arn and Emanon made their way to the Starfinder Society, where a second miracle awaited them. Data about pre-Gap Golarion has begun showing up in the Archive, as if waiting for Emanon to come and help them put it into context. As it happens, Emanon isn't only  _ from _ ancient Golarion, she spent decades researching its history and legends.

As one can imagine, the Starfinders have gone into overdrive, trying to document and catalog every scrap of data suddenly made available to them.  The Archive right now resembles a beehive, crowded and incredibly busy. Emanon holds court, providing information and context from a seemingly endless breadth of knowledge about her home.

For her part, Emanon has been surprisingly sanguine about the entire affair. To call her an extrovert would be a gross understatement. In her time, she was a bard: basically a cross between a musician and a historian, with a generous helping of illusionist. She traveled from one land to another, rarely setting down roots, learning their stories and sharing others she'd learned from elsewhere. So for her, "this is just another land waiting to hear my stories and teach me new ones."

Having had the pleasure of meeting her, I can assure you she's like no elf you've ever heard of. Her excitement about our time is infectious. We modern citizens often forget the wonders of our own magic and technology, but to see it through her eyes is a refreshing and joyous experience.

And don't worry, the Starfinders aren't planning to keep her entirely to themselves. If you want to meet her, she'll be performing tonight at 7PM in the Arcanamirium's grand lecture hall. She'll be presenting several of her favorite ballads, and has promised to take questions from the audience when she's done.

Seating is first-come first served, so arrive early. But if you miss the show tonight, there will be others. Emanon has said that she can't wait to meet everyone. Watch for additional performance announcements around the station.

* * *

It was around 9am when Arden finished his article and sent it for publication. He’d finally gotten the sleep his body needed, but it had been haunted by the horrors of the past two days. In his dream, he’d returned to the transport ship. He thought he was heading to Absalom Station, but instead, Captain Vanek, as an Allip, had burst into the passenger compartment and begun clawing at his face. Then he was trapped in the crash harness again, except instead of protecting him, it had held him in place, unable to move, as another Allip, this time looking like Dana, had screamed wordlessly at him. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d woken up, and most of the nightmares he couldn’t recall anymore, but at some point he must’ve gotten the rest he needed, because he did at least feel like himself again.

Arden was staying in a nondescript little motel in The Spike, far enough from the Starstone not to have been damaged. Since he wasn’t currently working for AbadarCorp, it was coming out of his own pocket. But he’d booked the reservation before the attack, under the original rates, and the motel was forced to honor it, so it wasn’t too expensive.

He was back to being a reporter again, and he supposed he found it satisfying in its own way, even if he did miss the excitement of investigating the Starstone attack. He’d felt like he was making real progress when Jeri had informed him in no uncertain terms that he was to drop it.

Emanon had contacted him about an hour earlier, gushing with excitement over her upcoming performance, and informing him about everything going on at the Archive. Arden hadn’t actually gone back and checked the pool feed from Polaski’s briefing, so he didn’t have anything new to write about the recovery effort. And while he had plenty of newsworthy things to write about the Starstone attack itself, he couldn’t publicize any of it without jeopardizing ongoing investigations. So without any effort at all, Emanon had given him the material he needed in order to get a quick article out the door, a bit of extra cash in his pocket, and hopefully provide her with the publicity she craved.

But the article he really wanted to write wouldn’t be possible until Councilor Jerrilyn Nanh was put on trial. He’d need to get information from the official investigation, including the evidence they’d gathered, and he’d need to do it in a way that made him look like just a good investigative journalist, and not a spy with connections he shouldn’t have. But he’d done that before, and the article he planned to write would show her guilt for the entire Pact Worlds to see. Perhaps she could redeem herself, just a little, by helping them find this “Finisher,” whoever he was, but that wasn’t his problem to solve anymore.

Without Karadite to set up the automated search for him, he’d need another approach to finding out when Jerrilyn’s transport was on its way. The Stewards’ flight itineraries were classified, but activity in the docks themselves always made it clear when a ship was about to arrive. If absolutely necessary, he could always resort to a stakeout, but he’d avoid that option if he could. Ideally, he needed a source in the Stewards themselves who’d be able to tip him off when she was about to be brought in. He knew a couple of people who might be willing to do him a favor. He decided he’d get in touch with them after breakfast.

He poured a cup of water into one of his breakfast pouches and stirred the contents. In a few seconds, the goopy-looking concoction was hot and ready to serve. He had just started eating when a knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.  _ Who could that be _ ? Arden wondered.

Arden hadn’t told anyone he was staying here, and the cleaning robots wouldn’t be by for another couple of hours. He walked to the door and activated the comm. Two identically-dressed androids appeared in the space in front of him, standing side by side. They were the androgynous variety, and practically twins. But they showed no expression on their faces whatsoever. Whatever emotions they were feeling were well hidden, even to him.

“Hello?” Arden said, hesitantly.

“Please come with us, number 837,” one of them said. Arden realized they’d been sent by AbadarCorp. That was his identifier within the intelligence unit.

“Do I have time to get dressed?” he asked.

“We’ve been authorized to allow you up to five minutes to make yourself ready before taking coercive measures to effect your compliance,” they answered.

_ Oh, isn’t that sweet of you _ , Arden thought sarcastically. “Fine. I’ll hurry,” he said.

Arden still hadn’t showered yet. He’d planned to do it before leaving, but Emanon’s call had woken him and then he’d started on the article right away. Any offense he’d given Karadite the day before was no doubt considerably worse today. With no time to wash himself, he did the next best thing he could, and dabbed himself with cologne and deodorant wherever he deemed that he was especially smelly. And he at least had clean clothes, which would help. He hoped so, anyway.

Arden put a hat on to cover his greasy hair and gulped down the last of his instant porridge, then walked out the door to meet the pair of AbadarCorp enforcers who’d summoned him.

They brought him outside to a waiting car. Arden wasn’t sure what to make of this. Private transports around the station were rare. Most residents relied on the lift and tram system to navigate, and private vehicles couldn’t go everywhere a person could, particularly on the lower levels. It was completely black and shaped like a long egg. It hovered about 10 centimeters off the street at its lowest point. One of the androids stepped up to it and opened a door. “This way please, 837,” was all it said.

Arden got in, and the two androids followed him, taking their own positions. “Can you tell me what this is about?” he asked. The androids still weren’t giving off any emotion he could detect.  _ That’s probably why they were sent _ , Arden guessed.

“Your presence is required at the headquarters,” one said.

“Can you be more specific?” he pressed.

“That’s all we were told. Our mission is just to make sure you arrived promptly and safely."

“But you were prepared to take ‘coercive measures’ if I took too long?” Arden asked.

“Yes,” they said in unison.

*******

The car drove itself as the three of them rode along in silence. Arden hadn’t realized that the car could access tubes throughout the station’s interior to move between levels. He’d seen the tubes before, but had believed they were just supporting structures, not hollow passageways. Absalom Station wasn’t his home, so maybe this wasn’t exactly a secret to the station’s permanent residents, but he’d be willing to bet that even a fair number of them would’ve been surprised that they worked that way.

Once they reached the surface, near the center of the Eye, the car left the ground behind quickly and climbed straight up. The internal gravity generators ensured that it never even felt like they were moving, but looking through the clear canopy had been highly disorienting. They eventually settled on a landing area just below the top of the AbadarCorp Headquarters, parking beside a dozen additional vehicles of the same type.

The two androids stepped out first, then invited him to follow. He did. They led him to a door and one of them said, “837 has arrived.” Arden couldn’t see who they were talking to, but assumed there was a camera around somewhere. The door opened and they motioned for him to step inside.

Arden did as instructed and found himself inside an office that took up the remaining height of the building. It was topped by a stained glass ceiling that came together in a pyramidal dome that reached a peak nearly 8 meters above him. There were images of Abadar in his accounting office, Abadar selling food to the people, Abadar presiding over his early church's board of directors, and Abadar welcoming the money changers into his temple. The effect was so remarkable, with the light shining through every detailed rendering, that he completely forgot to look around at the rest of the office.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” said the elderly man in the formal business robes of the High Priest and CEO. “Welcome to the Golden Vault, Arden Finder.”

Arden lowered his gaze to see who had addressed him and gasped, “You’re High Priest Gevrant Iseki-Okaibo!”

“Indeed,” he replied, inclining his head.

Arden recovered himself and remembered to kneel. “But why am I here, holy one?” he asked.

“No, no, please don’t do that,” the CEO said. “It makes it so much easier to do this if we can see each other face to face. Stand up, Mr Finder.”

Arden slowly rose, trying to see if maybe a slight bow would be better, but the CEO kept motioning him to stand up until he was fully erect. Arden noticed with chagrined horror that he was actually slightly taller than his CEO, and tried not to think about the fact that the holy man was going to be forced to look up into  _ his _ eyes.

“Now then, that’s better,” Iseki-Okaibo said, sounding satisfied. “You’re back on the Starstone investigation, Mr Finder. And your budget request to hire your android associate has been reauthorized. That is all.”

Arden waited for him to say more. When he didn’t, he broke the silence himself. “Why are you putting me back on?” he asked, not sure the other man was going to answer any questions he had.

“I’m not,” the CEO said simply. “Abadar is.”

“ _ Abadar _ intervened?” Arden said, with a tone that landed somewhere between awestruck and horrified. “Why?”

The High Priest and CEO merely looked at him coolly. “I have no idea, and I know better than to question him once he tells me to do something. Do you not?”

“No sir. I mean, yes sir, I mean...” Arden’s brain struggled to keep up with what was happening.

“Go away now,” Iseki-Okaibo said, making a shooing motion. “The twins will take you back to your motel and you can do whatever it is you need to do to resume your investigation.”

“Yes of course, absolutely, right away,” Arden stammered, backing away to the exit.

“And Finder?” the CEO said. “I suggest you start with a shower.”

*******

Karadite stepped out of the storehouse wearing a fresh change of clothing and carrying Fuzzy's carrier. Within the carrier, her personal computer was hidden inside along with the little animal. So long as nobody looked too closely, all they'd see would be the cat and a big fluffy cushion for it to snuggle against.

She'd spent the previous night at a primary school that had been converted to accommodate the newly homeless, like herself, from the neighborhoods around the Starstone. It had not been pleasant.

Fuzzy had settled into the new situation poorly, and they'd received a number of glares from people who'd been kept awake with her unhappy noises. And even aside from the difficulty of keeping Fuzzy from interrupting her new neighbors' sleep, Karadite knew that carrying her around everywhere wasn't going to be a long term solution. Any chance she had of moving unobserved was lost so long as she had the little mammal with her.

Karadite arrived at Nevis's bar a few minutes later. It wasn't time for it to be open, but she knew Nevis was living here as well as running it, and wasn't surprised when he opened the door at her knock.

"Ready to get started?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said. "But I had to bring my cat with me again, sorry."

Nevis shrugged. "I get it." He looked downcast as he let her in. "I had a puppy," he said suddenly. "She didn't survive the attack. If she had, she'd be here too." He sighed. "I wish she had," he said miserably.

"Oh, I didn't know," Karadite answered. She wasn't sure what response would be appropriate, and hoped the conversation was finished. Fortunately, Nevis didn't seem to want to talk about it any further.

"Follow me," he said, motioning her. "I've got a space set aside for you in my office. It's private, and you can access the infosphere through a secure line, without using the station's wireless."

Karadite nodded approvingly as he showed her to her new workspace.

"Here, let me copy the security keys to your communicator," he added, holding out his hand.

"Um," Karadite began. "It's not exactly standard issue. Can you just send me the keys and I'll add them myself?"

Nevis looked embarrassed. "Right, of course, sorry. I shouldn't've assumed." He took out his own communicator and sent the key files. "Once you activate those, you can unlock the bar and this office with your own communicator, whether I'm here to let you in or not."

Karadite nodded and quickly added them to her private keychain. "Anything else you need before you get started?" Nevis asked her.

“Just a space for Fuzzy to crawl around,” she answered. “Is it ok to let her out in the office?”

Nevis considered it, then nodded. “I guess she can’t hurt anything. Think she’d like a bit of cream?”

Karadite accepted on Fuzzy’s behalf, then the two of them settled down in the office. Fuzzy explored her new surroundings while Karadite pondered what electronic evidence she might be able to use that she hadn’t already poked around in.

Nevis came by to check on her after an hour, and to see if she wanted anything for breakfast while he was preparing some for himself.

“Whatever you’re making will be fine,” she told him. “Thanks.”

“Um. Have you ever eaten dwarven cuisine?” he asked uncertainly.

Karadite looked up, wondering if she had said something wrong. “Is it very different from any other food?” she asked him.

“Well, my own breakfast is typically beer with bread soaking in it. I enjoy it very much, but the other races usually avoid it.”

Karadite took a moment to process this new piece of information. “Perhaps just the bread? With cream cheese, if you have it?” she requested.

Nevis smiled, “I do.” He looked at her little cube-shaped computer with a puzzled expression. “You don’t use a screen?” he asked.

“It’s simpler to use a neural interface,” she explained. “More private too. Did you want a peek?”

“Depends. Have you discovered anything?” he inquired.

Karadite shook her head. “Not unless you count new ways of getting blocked by network security software. I’m trying to access footage from the attack itself, but the security on this archive is like nothing I’ve ever encountered.”

“They won’t be able to trace your intrusion back here, will they?” Nevis asked nervously.

She made an uncertain motion. “They shouldn’t be able to. I’ve got my usual safeguards in place, plus a few others I employ when I’m being really paranoid. But I’ll be honest, this might be the toughest system I’ve ever tried to hack into. If I were ever going to be caught, these guys could be the ones to do it. You want me to stop?” she asked.

He looked like he couldn’t decide how to answer for a moment. He tugged at his beard for a while and stared at the ceiling, as if he might find an answer up there if he looked closely enough. Finally he turned back to her. “I hired you because you’re the best, so I’ll trust you. If you think you can get the footage without getting caught, keep at it. If you think it’s hopeless, or they’re about to trace your work back here, then stop.”

“Okay, boss,” Karadite answered. “I’ll let you know if I have anything to show you.”  _ Or if we need to pack up and run _ , she added to herself.

“Okay,” Nevis agreed. He turned to leave and then stopped and looked back at her. “Oh, I just remembered. Remember when I told you the gangs were fighting over something?” Karadite nodded. “N’dibue came in after you left and filled me in on the whole deal.”

“So what was it?” Karadite asked. “And have things settled back down again, or are they still fighting?”

“To answer your second question first: yes. They’ve reached a peace,” Nevis told her. “Will it hold? Who knows. Sometimes it does, sometimes not. But what’s really interesting is what started the conflict in the first place. Apparently, there’s a prophet somewhere on the station.”

“A prophet? Like, a literal fortune-teller of the gods?” Karadite asked.

Nevis nodded. “Yup, and they say her prophecies are never wrong. But she’s not a fortune teller for any gods anyone’s ever heard of. Where she gets her power is a complete mystery. She won’t tell anyone.”

“So, why the truce?” Karadite asked him.

“Apparently, she set up some kind of a contest to determine which gang she would work with, and she declared a winner last night. The other gangs aren’t happy about it, but they’re not going to fight about it.”

“Well, that should be good for your business at least,” Karadite said. “Did N’dibue say who won?”

Nevis nodded. “The Black Skulls, apparently.”

Karadite knew them. They controlled most of the neighborhoods in The Spike between levels 18 and 24. They enforced a strict regime among their residents - certainly nothing she’d ever be willing to live under - but they were motivated by profit, not ideology. She wondered what they intended to use the prophet’s skills for.

Nevis headed back out of the office. “I’ll have your food soon,” he called behind him as he left.

Karadite got back to work. Nevis brought her the food after a few minutes and she gave him a short nod, still absorbed in her efforts to hack the Starstone security office’s video archive. She was still at it when her comm started beeping. She looked down and saw that Arden had sent her a message, text-only. “ _ Use your neural interface and call me. Enable enhanced encryption mode. _ ”

_ That’s odd _ , she thought. Apparently, whatever he had to say wasn’t something he meant for anyone else to overhear. She disconnected from her computer and linked up with her communicator. Then she enabled the encryption mode and called him.

“Karadite, I have good news,” Arden began.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I’m back on the Starstone investigation, and I can hire you again." There was obvious excitement in his tone.

“I’ve taken another employer,” she told him. “You’ll have to find someone else.”

“What? No,” he protested. “I need you, Karadite! What if I offered to double your fee?”

That got her attention. This had suddenly become a negotiation. “Could you also arrange a hotel?” she asked. “My current living situation is… less than ideal.”

“Yes, absolutely,” he said. 

“It needs to be pet friendly,” she warned him.

“I’ll make it happen,” he assured her.

Karadite was surprised at how quickly Arden had agreed. She didn’t know how much he’d been authorized to pay her, but it was clearly a lot. She decided to press a little more. “You’d have to cover new equipment too,” she demanded. “Working with you has the annoying habit of sending me up against Allips, and my weapon hasn’t proven very effective against them.”

“Karadite,” Arden said earnestly. “If you’ll come work for me again, you can pick out whatever weapon you think will suffice, and if it’s for sale anywhere on the station, it’s yours. But I need your answer right now. Help me find the people responsible for the attack. I know you want this. Quit negotiating and just say yes. You’ve already gotten as much as I can offer you.”

Karadite thought about Nevis for a moment. He’d hired her in good faith, and she didn’t want to hurt a friend. But Arden was right. She wanted this. She wasn’t getting anywhere on her own, but together with him, she believed they could find whoever was responsible. And more importantly, once she’d found them, with Arden’s connections, she could see them brought down for it. Nevis might  _ think _ he knew people who could get to anyone, but Arden definitely did.

“Ok, yes,” she finally said.

“Excellent,” Arden said. “I need a little time to make your new living arrangements. “I’ll send you a location within the hour. You can check in and I’ll meet you there. If you know what weapon you want, I’ll have it with me when I arrive. Bring your computer and anything else you’ll need. No one will inspect you or your possessions, I’ll see to that.”

“Alright then,” she said. “Get me a high frequency sonic pistol with a ghost killer fusion on it. A Defender model from your bosses at AbadarCorp would be fine.”

“That’s going to cost more than the entire expense sheet I turned in from our work on Apostae!” Arden protested.

“Don’t cheap out on me, Arden,” she scolded. “Either you need me or you don’t, but if I do this, then I want something that can actually hit one of those bastards the next time we see one.”

She could tell he was saying something with his mic covered, but she couldn’t tell if it was to himself or to someone else. After several seconds of this, his voice came back over the comm. “Fine, you’ll have it. But once the mission is over, you’ll either need to return it or lease it from AbadarCorp. They’ll even sell it to you outright if you’ve got sufficient coin.”

So, she’d finally found a limit to what they would pay, she realized. Considering everything she’d managed to get out of the deal, and the fact that she didn’t expect to fight any more Allips once they were done, she decided she could accept having to part with the gun when they finished. But having it while they worked together would make it that much more likely she’d survive. “Alright, I can live with that,” she told him. “I’ll wait for your call. Karadite out.”

Karadite deactivated her comm and disconnected her neural link. Fuzzy was rolling on her side in front of her, trying to get her attention. “Hey cat,” Karadite said to her as she began scratching her sides. “I just arranged a new place for us to stay.” Fuzzy purred contentedly. “Now for the hard part."

Karadite gave Fuzzy one last stroke with her fingers, then stood up and left the office. Out in the bar area, Nevis had opened, and his first customers were chatting quietly at the counter. Karadite stepped up to where he was working and tapped his shoulder.

“Find something?” he asked hopefully.

Karadite shook her head. “No, and I won’t be able to continue here. My former employer called. He’s offered to hire me back on. I accepted. He’ll call me soon and tell me where to meet him.”

Nevis looked shocked. “But Karadite, we had a deal! You can’t go back on me now.”

Karadite gave him a sympathetic look. “You wanted me to investigate the attack. I’m still doing it. You just don’t need to pay me to do it anymore.”

Nevis scowled. “I suppose you think I should be happy about this?”

“I’m sorry, Nevis, but the guy I’m working for has resources you don’t. You saw how it was going. I wasn’t making progress. With his help, I think I will.”

Nevis slumped. “Fine, fine. You’re probably right. I just… I wanted to know who had done it. I wanted to…” he searched for the words he wanted to say. “I wanted answers,” he finally said. 

Karadite gave him an understanding smile. “I get it. I want the same thing.”

“How about this,” Nevis said. “Let’s say you don’t break our contract. I’ll keep paying you the agreed rate, and when you start making progress, send me a report. Let me know who did this. It’ll be the same amount of work for you, and you’ll get paid twice.”

Karadite didn’t answer right away. This wasn’t an offer she wanted to pass up. She’d hated breaking the contract, and he was right, it wouldn’t be any more work for her to just loop him in. But she knew Arden wouldn’t be ok with it if he found out. That information was valuable, and he wanted to control who got it. And he was paying a lot for her services, one of which was her ability to keep a secret. Her customers depended on her discretion. If she got caught breaking that discretion with Arden, the hit to her reputation would last a long time.

She shook her head. “I can’t do it,” she said at last. “But I promise you, when we find whoever was behind it, I’ll be back here and I’ll tell you everything I can.”

Nevis frowned, but said, “Alright.” He waved her away with his hands. “I’ve got customers to get back to. Go get your things and go.”

*******

Cheezy was small, but so was Thohuko’s dorm room. “We’re going to need to find a better arrangement for you,” Thohuko told him once they were both ready to leave for the day.

Cheezy didn’t own much, but what he did own was occupying any and all available floor space. While Thohuko had been meeting the other members of the Starstone repair team, Cheezy had gone back to the dorm room with Dott and started doing maintenance on her. What he had not done was cleaned up the mess he’d made in the process.

Thohuko had been too tired when they'd finally gotten back from their night out with Emanon and Lili to do anything but fall into his bed and sleep, but now he'd decided it was time to deal with the situation. Thohuko enjoyed Cheezy’s company just fine, but hadn’t counted on his slovenliness when he’d agreed to let him stay for a while.

“What’s the problem?” Cheezy asked, clearly not seeing anything wrong with the current situation.

“You need your own space,” Thohuko said. “Lili and Emanon are staying on the  _ Myriad _ , maybe Nevaz and Jian have room for you too.”

Cheezy gave this idea some consideration. “It would be nice to have access to a workshop again. Your room leaves something to be desired in that respect.”

“Yes!” Thohuko agreed. “That is correct. My room is not a workshop. That is  _ exactly _ my point.”

“And what if they don’t have space for me on the  _ Myriad _ ?” Cheezy asked pitifully.

“Well, there’s shelters that’ve been made available to all the people who lost their homes,” Thohuko began.

“You’d make me go  _ there _ ?” Cheezy asked, horrified.

“My room looks like Dott threw up in it!” Thohuko yelled.

Cheezy looked around. “It’s not that bad. My cabin was usually messier than this back on my ship.”

Thohuko’s antennae began to quiver in frustration. “Cheezy, we can’t be roommates, okay?! I requested a single room because I don’t like to deal with other people’s messes. And you’ve got to be the messiest person I’ve ever met!”

“I’ll clean it up, geez. Chill out!” Cheezy pleaded.

“Cheezy, there’s some kind of... what is that, hydraulic fluid?” he pointed. “Whatever it is it’s soaking into my carpet.”

“You mean the university’s carpet, right?” Cheezy corrected.

“For the next 3 years, it’s supposed to be MINE!”

*******

Cheezy finished packing up his belongings and slung his pack over his shoulder. “Come on, Dott,” he told his drone. “Hopefully there’s space for us on the _Myriad_.” He walked out the door with a half-hearted wave back at Thohuko. Thohuko acknowledged him with a grunt and a wave of his own.

For the next 30 minutes, Thohuko cast cleaning spells at one small patch of carpet after another. The repetitive nature of the activity gave him time to think.  _ Cheezy’s an okay guy, he’s just not someone I can share a room with _ , Thohuko told himself.  _ I hope I didn’t just burn a friendship by kicking him out though _ . He continued casting a while longer.  _ Now why the hell won’t this spot come out _ ?  _ What  _ is _ this stuff _ ?

His comm interrupted him.  _ Probably Cheezy _ , he figured, and took his time to get to it. But when he picked it up, he saw it was originating from the Burning Archipelago.

“Shirova?” he said in surprise.

“I didn’t think you were going to answer!” she said in a surprised tone of her own. “I wasn’t sure what time it was on Absalom, but I had to contact you as soon as I could. Did I wake you?

“No, I’m awake. I just thought you were someone I didn’t feel like talking to,” Thohuko said, a little embarrassed.

“Well, I hope you’re sitting down,” she began. “I just received a message from the goddess Sarenrae, and I’m to pass it on to you.”

Thohuko sat up straight at this unexpected announcement. “Wait, repeat that?” he said, sure he must have misheard her.

“Sarenrae gave me a message for you,” Shirova repeated.

“But I’m not even one of her followers!” Thohuko said, still coming to grips with this turn of events. “Why would she reach out to  _ me _ ?”

“Yes, well, she didn’t seem to care for the situation herself, but  _ I _ follow her, and I don’t have a choice in the matter. Shut up and let me tell you the message.”

“Okay,” Thohuko said, readying himself.

“Stay with the elf,” Shirova said. “Her life is in danger, and she needs your protection.”

“Um, is anyone else getting this message, or is it just me?” Thohuko asked.

“Funny, she didn’t say,” Shirova replied. “Shall I just go have another vision and ask her then? Oh wait, that’s right. I don’t get to decide when she appears to me.”

“Sorry, forget I asked,” Thohuko said.

“The thing about the gods, Thohuko, is when they decide to speak to you, they don’t typically waste a lot of time answering your questions. They deliver a message, and then they’re done. So, it sounds like you know who ‘the elf’ is. That’s good. I suggest you go protect her. Bad things tend to happen when you ignore a divine command.”

“Okay, I get it,” Thohuko said. “Sorry, this is my first divine command. I’m still new at this.”

“Good luck, Thohuko,” Shirova said, letting a note of concern into her voice. “I don’t know what kind of danger this elf is in, but be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Thanks, Shirova,” Thohuko replied. “And I will be. Just wish I knew more about what to expect.”

“I’d tell you more if I could,” she said. “By the way, how’s the fire elemental doing? The one that stayed behind?”

“What?” Thohuko asked. “I thought they all went to the Plane of Fire, thanks to you.”

“No, you didn’t know?” she asked, sounding surprised. “One of them stayed on the station. The church agreed to let one of the monks remain behind as an interpreter. I was just curious if everything was working out alright.”

“I had no idea,” Thohuko insisted. “I’ll try to find out and let you know. Do you know why it stayed?”

“I don’t,” she replied. “I was hoping you could tell me. Well, I’m sure we’ll be in touch. I’ll pray to the goddess for your safety.”

“Thank you, Shirova. Thohuko out.”

*******


	10. The Elves of Castrovel

Jeri had put a rush on Karadite's requests, so by the time Arden reached her office, she was already done. "Why did you tell her she couldn't keep the weapon after the mission?" Jeri asked.

Arden shrugged. "She was starting to get greedy, and I was afraid Abadar would get upset if I gave away the store."

"You're probably right," Jeri said after a brief consideration. "Skilled negotiation is a virtue, after all. But now that he's made your participation a priority, you've basically earned yourself an unlimited line of credit. The weapon she requested costs more than I make in a month. The only people who typically buy them are highly specialized military strike teams and the occasional adventurer with more money than sense. But in this case I agree with your operative. It just might save your lives. That's why you're getting one too."

" _ Me _ ?" Arden asked in shock.

"Yes, and don't lose it, or you'll be paying it off for the rest of your life," she warned.

Arden nodded, his eyes still wide at the unexpected offering. “How about Director Vine?" he asked, changing the subject. "Is he going to hold a grudge?"

Jeri nodded. “Probably. But that's not your problem. We’ll find somewhere else for him to stay. I promised Vine he could have 45 minutes to pack up and leave the hotel. So wait another 15 before you tell her where to go.”

“And you made sure they won’t try to check her gear?” Arden reminded.

“Arden, it’s a posh place. They won’t give her any trouble. Just make sure she’s focused on the work.”

“I still don’t understand why Abadar himself got involved,” Arden said in a bewildered tone.

Jeri’s expression turned grim. “He took interest in the investigation as soon as the attack happened. This is important to him for some reason. And we still had no leads on the mastermind until you were able to get a description. Abadar noticed that.

"But don’t get it into your head that you’re special or anything. You got damned lucky running into that vesk. And you’re still just as ill-equipped for combat as you were when I pulled you off, notwithstanding your new toy. You’re a good spy, but don’t get in over your head here. Abadar is demanding results, and he thinks you can provide them. I hope he’s right. But I also don’t want to see you killed.”

“Thanks,” Arden replied, surprised by this level of concern. “I’ll be fine though.”

She wheeled on him. “I’m serious Arden, you clearly don’t understand the danger. Take a seat while I explain it for you.” She indicated one of the utilitarian chairs she kept in her office and Arden sat down. “When you came in yesterday, do you remember how you felt?”

“Kind of,” Arden admitted. “I guess I was still a little loopy from the lack of sleep.”

“No Arden, you weren’t,” she corrected. “Or at least, that was only a small part of it. You used a mental attack on an  _ Allip _ ,” she said this like the implication should have been obvious. When Arden didn’t appear to see the significance of her statement she went on. “Arden, your soul, the part of you that gives you consciousness, was wounded. Badly. And you didn’t even realize it. You can’t touch the mind of one of those creatures and come away unscathed. Fortunately for you, the damage was just mild enough that a nice long rest put you back into sorts. But do it enough times, you fall helpless, gibbering on the ground, locked in a nightmare you can't wake up from while the Allip takes its time finishing you off.”

Arden blanched. He’d remembered feeling dizzy and getting a headache, but had no idea how serious the damage had actually been.

“Like I said,” Jeri continued. “I didn't think you were ready for this. But it isn’t my call anymore, so you’re on the investigation anyway. But be careful, damnit. I don’t want to bury another person under my authority.”

Arden nodded but didn't say anything else. Jeri sat back down behind her desk and waved him away. He got to his feet, picked up the case with the pistols, and left her office feeling a new appreciation for what he was getting into.  _ I wonder if I should've asked them to double  _ my _ fee too _ , he mused idly as the door closed behind him.

*******

Karadite settled into her new space and looked around, impressed. Her hotel room had a separate room for sleeping, and a main room with an entire parlor that would easily accommodate several guests, if she were inclined to have any. But most impressive was the view. Only the truly wealthy could afford to live directly under the dome, but that’s where the fabulous Royal Azlant Hotel was located. Out the window she could see exclusive shops, VR parlors, and fancy theaters, all meant to entertain the wealthy elite. After years living down in The Spike, it was quite an adjustment.

“What do you think, Fuzzy?” she cooed as she let her cat out of the carrier. “You like it?”

The cat began circling the new space, careful to stay near Karadite at first, then gradually wandering farther away. Eventually she climbed on top of one of the sofas and made herself comfortable. "I think it suits you too," Karadite said approvingly.

She tapped the controls to convert the carrier into a litter box and the intake fan whirred to life. In a few minutes, the base of the carrier would be three inches deep with artificial sand manufactured from the air around it. 

A knock at the door startled the little gray tabby, who silently dived under a lounge chair and disappeared from view. "Nice stealth," Karadite complimented as she strode to the door. 

Karadite checked the monitor to see who it was. Arden stood there. "Hello Arden," she greeted, letting him inside.

He had his familiar brown jacket slung over his shoulder, and a large silver case in his hand. He took in the suite and let out a low whistle. "I was told it would be posh, but damn." He walked around exploring. "It's got a kitchen!" he said, impressed. He opened one of the doors. "It's got a  _ dining room _ !"

"Yes, it's satisfactory, Arden," Karadite said. "Right now I'm more interested to see what's in that case."

"Right," Arden replied, seeming to remember why he was there. He walked over to a low table in the sitting area and set the case down, opening it for her.

Karadite's eyes widened with eager interest as he revealed a pair of AbadarCorp manufactured sonic pistols nestled inside. They prominently featured the Defender logo on their sides. "They're big!" she said, reaching to pick one up. "And heavy!" She let it settle in her hands, getting a feel for its weight.

Arden nodded. "They generate a focused beam of high frequency sound inside this resonating chamber," he said, pointing at the bulbous muzzle. "And the ghost killer fusion pack sits at the end, converting the attack's energy into a form that can strike ethereal as well as purely material targets."

"How many shots can I fire on a single charge?" she asked, testing the sight. 

"10," Arden replied. "But you know it's a close range weapon, right? Further out than about 12.5 meters and the soundwaves dissipate, turning your lethal attack into a mere slap of wind."

"I'm a close range fighter," she said calmly. "And the Allips don't use ranged weapons."

"True, just keep the limitations in mind," he cautioned.

"So you haven't told me why there's a second pistol in there," she said, pointing.

"Why should you get all the cool toys?" Arden teased.

"Because I actually know how to use them," she replied evenly. 

“Well the other one’s mine,” he said. “This way we can cover each other.”

"Just so long as you can’t accidentally shoot me in the back,” she said dubiously. “Let's go ahead and set each other as friends."

The Defender line included a special feature that allowed its user to avoid hitting an ally. The guns had a built-in sensor that would prevent them from firing if aimed at a designated friend. And by default, they were programmed not to fire at law enforcement or immature sentients, which tended to put officers at ease when they saw people carrying them. Karadite quickly went through the instructions and then added them both as friends on both weapons.

"I have something for you too," she said, once they’d finished.

Arden looked over with interest as she pulled out a small box from her pocket. "These are modified earbuds,” she told him. “They'll link with your communicator like normal ones, but I've configured them to filter out the frequencies the Allips used to hypnotize us during our first encounter. I'd rather not repeat the experience if I can avoid it."

Arden accepted the box and opened it. "Thank you, Karadite." He took out the little ear buds and quickly linked them with his comm, then tried them on. “They’re comfortable,” he noted with approval.

"I didn't have an Allip with me to test them out," she reminded. "So I can't be positive they'll work as intended."

"I'll keep that in mind," Arden assured her. He drew her attention to a pair of datasheets he’d pulled from his jacket. “Now, here’s where things are going to get really interesting. We’re officially consulting on the investigation now, so they’ve generated a key that’ll get us into any data uncovered by the rest of the team. Add it to your keychain and we’ll be able to review their evidence and see what we can piece together. And if there’s data we think we need that they don’t already have, we can submit a warrant. They’ll review it on an expedited basis, and once it’s approved, we can disable any security or privacy measure that complies with Pact Council export controls. That won’t get us into someone’s personal storage, but nearly anything stored on the Infosphere we’ll be able to see.”

“Provided they approve the warrant?” Karadite repeated.

“Right,” Arden answered.

“Feels like cheating,” she muttered unhappily.

“I’m sure we’ll find you a challenge...” Arden trailed off as the power around them went out. “At least there’s a window this time,” he said. The room was now darker, but still sufficiently lit for normal vision. Suddenly the world seemed to drop away as they lost almost all sensation of weight.

“Whoa,” Arden moaned. “I do not like this at all! What is going on?”

The two of them fell slowly away from the window, unable to arrest their motion. The furniture that wasn’t attached to a wall or the floor made the same slow movement. From somewhere under one the chairs, Fuzzy began hissing and meowing in fear.

“The station slowly turns, creating a day/night cycle for those at the surface,” Karadite explained calmly as they drifted. “Gravity generation appears to have gone completely offline. The station itself is heavy enough to create a small amount, but not enough to keep us from sliding against the station’s own rotation.”

After a few seconds, gravity was partially restored and they stopped sliding. It took another minute for it to come back the rest of the way, along with the lights.

“That wasn’t a localized event,” Arden said. “There’s no way. If gravity had stayed online at any of the generators we would’ve felt lighter, but we wouldn’t have floated that way. For a few seconds, they must’ve been down throughout the entire station.”

“It had to have been the Starstone,” Karadite offered. Arden nodded his agreement.

“Let’s hope the repair team can fix it,” Arden said. “But right now, we need to find out who broke it. Let’s get to work.”

Karadite pulled out her computer and connected to the Infosphere. “Give me the key,” she said, reaching for the datasheet.  _ This still feels like cheating _ , she thought.

*******

Emanon and Lili were back aboard the  _ Myriad _ after a late and raucous night. Emanon was still giddy over the experience. They’d finally left the Archive the previous evening and gotten a chance to tour ‘Absalom in Space.’ Jian had stayed behind, but Lili and Emanon were eager for an adventure.

Their first stop was a fashion boutique, where Emanon had fallen in love with a flashy red dress. The bodice showed off her curves to full effect and the skirt flared out in a fun display that allowed easy range of motion. "The fabric's so light, it barely feels like I'm wearing anything!" Emanon had exclaimed with delight. "Thank you so much, Lili."

Lili had picked a pale pearlescent halter top and paired it with a long royal blue straight skirt with a slit up the right thigh. Emanon had commended the selection. Both were excited to step out in their new attire.

After settling on matching shoes, Lili had called Thohuko to let him and Cheezy know where to meet up.

Emanon was still disoriented by all the new sights, but Lili had secured her position as new best friend, and as long as she was around, Emanon felt safe. As for the others, Cheezy was quite the character, and super quick on his feet. And once he'd loosened up, Thohuko was as fun as any bard back home, and not too bad on the eyes.

None of them had ever been on Absalom Station before, and they'd all been in the mood to enjoy themselves.

Their first stop had been a VR parlor. It was really fun, up until a blackout had kicked them out of the game they’d been playing. Then they’d dined at a Formian restaurant that had had neon lights and fog coming out of it when they’d walked by. And they’d visited two night clubs before their excursion was done. In both, Emanon’s unexpectedly accomplished dancing had attracted nearly as much attention as her pointed ears. And she’d received more than enough free drinks to keep herself and her friends in boisterous spirits as the night wore on.

But it was an idle comment while chatting with a DJ that had arguably been the most consequential event of the night. “You think they’d let me on stage?”

Emanon had held the audience in fascination with her tales of ancient Golarion’s heroes and villains, even if they’d lacked the cultural context necessary to pick up on some of her jokes. Afterward, a promoter who’d been in the audience had arranged to get her a venue at the Arcanamirium lecture hall for her official debut. Instead of performing as Emanon of Greengold, she’d be Emanon of Golarion, and she’d been given a handsome advance. Not knowing what else to do with it, she’d bought drinks for everyone in the club, paid Lili back for her shopping, and told her to hold onto the rest since she didn't have an account to keep it in yet.

And that was the moment when Lili had become her agent. Since Emanon still didn’t have her own communicator, anyone who wanted to book her for a performance, an interview, or any other occasion called Lili, who was feeling overwhelmed trying to put together a calendar. And it had only gotten more hectic once Arden’s article had been published.

“I can’t believe he got it out so fast!” Lili had marveled. “You must have disconnected your call not 15 minutes before it went out over the newswire.”

The two of them were already dreaming up tour schedules that would take Emanon across the worlds of the Pact when Lili’s comm went off again. “You’ve reached Lilin Arn,” she said. “Booking Agent for Emanon of Golarion.”

“Lili, it’s me.” Thohuko’s face appeared in the air in front of her. “You’ve stopped looking at the incoming ID now?” he asked in surprise.

“Oh, hi Thohuko!” she said, embarrassed. “Sorry, I’ve just kind of gone into auto-pilot. Cheezy’s here, by the way. He says you kicked him out.”

“Uh, yeah, I kinda did,” Thohuko admitted. “Are they going to let him stay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Lili assured him. “Apparently the  _ Myriad _ had a bit of a maintenance backlog, and he’s busy working through it. Nevaz and Jian were pretty happy to have him, actually.”

“Oh cool,” Thohuko said. “I was worried about him. Sounds like he’s fitting in fine.”

“So what’s up?” Lili asked.

“I just wanted to see if it would be a good time to come visit,” he said. “Is Emanon still there with you?” he asked casually.

Emanon motioned for Lili to turn the communicator toward her. “Hey Thohuko,” she said with a wave. “Fun night last night, huh?”

“It sure was,” he agreed. “The university hasn’t been able to schedule classes yet because so many of the new students still haven’t been able to reach the station, so I’ve got nothing to do at the moment. I was thinking I’d come visit you guys, and then watch your show later.”

“That sounds nice, but we’re really busy,” she said.

“Maybe I can help?” he offered. Emanon thought she detected a note of pleading.

“What do you think, Lili?” Emanon asked. “Could we use a hand?”

Lili shrugged noncommittally.  _ He really seems desperate to come _ , Emanon thought.  _ And he  _ is _ kinda cute _ , she decided. “Ok, come on over,” Emanon said after a pause. “We’ll find something for you to do.”

*******

"You've reached Lilin Arn, Booking agent for Emanon of Golarion," Lili repeated her now-ingrained greeting for the 40th time. Emanon was in another part of the ship practicing her set on Thohuko and Cheezy. She had loved every bit of her time on stage the previous night, except for when one of her jokes had failed to land. The guys had offered to help by letting her know when one didn't connect so she could re-work it.

"And that was how people learned not to ask the great and mighty Grogg about his mother," Emanon finished, eliciting amused snorts from her friends when Lili suddenly ran in.

"Uh, you should really take this," Lili said, out of breath and looking as though she'd seen an Allip.

Hovering in the space above her communicator was a masked figure with long hair and prominent pointed ears sticking up on either side.

Emanon took the offered communicator and focused the holo camera on herself. "Hello," she said. "You wished to speak with me?"

The figure removed its mask, revealing a woman's face of indeterminate years. "I am Heladra nue Imlodel," the woman said, "ruler of Valeloria, on Castrovel. I've come to seek an audience with the elf woman who claims to hail from Golarion. You are she?"

"Uh, yes! Yes, your majesty!" Emanon stammered awkwardly. She recovered herself and made a formal bow. "I am Emanon nue Ruelemans, and I shall be honored to receive you."

The other woman smiled. "So it is true," she said, awe creeping into her voice. "Our delegation began our journey immediately upon hearing of your arrival. We docked a few minutes ago. We shall be with you in but a moment."

"You're here now?" Emanon asked, startled.

"Indeed," Heladra replied. "We are but a few paces from your craft. We merely awaited your invitation, which you have now so generously extended."

The four friends exchanged a shared look of shock. "I'd better go tell Nevaz and Jian they've got company," Thohuko said, jumping to his feet.

"Uh, don't let them see my room," Cheezy yelled, as he took off in the direction of his quarters.

"Please be patient with us as we prepare to receive you," Emanon said diplomatically.

The other woman bowed her head and placed her mask back on. "Of course, child of Golarion. We will not mind waiting until you are prepared. Take all the time that you require."

Her image disappeared as the call terminated. "Elves today really  _ are _ patient," Emanon noted.

"You think so?" Lili replied. "Only, they had to have gotten their ship launched within minutes of reading about you to have gotten here so quickly, and that doesn't really scream patience to me."

"Well, I'd better change back into my regular clothes," Emanon decided. "They want to see an ancient elf, so I may as well dress the part." She'd enjoyed the new red party dress so much that she'd put it on again that morning and was still wearing it. She headed back to her quarters to change.

Lili wondered if she'd be allowed to sit in on their meeting and take notes. She'd been on surveys of Castrovel at least a dozen times, first as a student and finally in pursuit of her own biological discoveries, and elves had never been more than a rumor. She'd never even  _ heard _ of Valeloria. There were large areas of the planet that she simply wasn't allowed to explore, as the elves guarded their territory zealously against outsiders. And now they were right outside, waiting to be let in.

Nevaz came out of his lab long enough to lower the gangway and invite the delegation inside.  The six elves appeared to cast wary glances at his massive reptilian frame (though it was hard to be sure with their masks), then filed past him onto the  _ Myriad _ . They took care to stay as far from the vesk as they could while doing so, however.

Each of the elves wore long gray cloaks and an identical white mask. It was impossible to determine male from female, as they all had similarly graceful builds and smooth hands, and none of them spoke until Emanon came out to greet them.

"Child of Golarion," one said. Lili recognized the voice as belonging to Heladra. All six of the elves bowed respectfully at the bard, who smiled and bowed to them in return. 

“Might we have space to speak privately?” Heladra asked. Behind their backs, Lili attempted to signal Emanon by pointing at herself and mouthing “agent.” Emanon seemed unsure how to respond.

“Would it be acceptable if I keep one of my friends with me while we speak? You’ve got five of your own friends here, majesty.”

Heladra made a startled motion at this request, but managed to recover herself. “The things we wish to speak of do not concern any of  _ your  _ friends here, but they surely concern mine. I hope you understand. We could be so much more comfortable if we spoke only with you.”

Emanon cast an apologetic glance at Lili, then resumed addressing the elves. “Of course, your majesty. Queen Heladra, please let me show you to my private quarters aboard this vessel.” She led them to her cabin and shut the door behind her.

“Hmph,” Lili sighed, folding her arms in disappointment.

Cheezy walked over to her, grinning like someone trying to keep from laughing. “You want to listen in?” he asked her conspiratorially.

“What? How?” Lili asked.

Cheezy shrugged. “I might’ve dropped a little holo cam with a short-range transmitter in there. You know, to satisfy the curious.”

Lili was shocked at him. “Were you using that to watch her change?”

Cheezy looked shocked right back. “What? Oh gods no! No offense, but you hairless monkey races repulse me. No, I just wanted to watch the elves take off their masks for their little pow-wow, and I’d assumed they’d be doing it in there, so like two minutes ago I placed the thing. It was Thohuko’s idea, to be fair. But hey, you don’t want a peek, that’s fine. Go ahead and respect their privacy, or whatever.”

“No, no!” Lili insisted. “I don’t want to respect their privacy! Bring up the feed!” She was almost giddy at the prospect of seeing the elves and hearing them speak.

“Very well then,” Cheezy said. “Come with me.” He turned to Thohuko, who’d been listening without saying anything. “Hope my new room’s not too disgusting for you, but if you want to watch, you’ll have to just deal with it.” He led them both back to his new quarters.

Cheezy motioned for Thohuko to close the door after he’d entered. “I’ll put the projector in about the same place in this room that I placed the holo cam in the other room, and it’ll be like we’re right in there with them.” He arranged a portable holo projector on the floor and activated it. Instantly the room seemed to have 7 additional people in it, along with the ghostly outlines of Emanon’s bed occupying roughly the same place as Cheezy’s, his cabin having been identically furnished. The three instinctively retreated to separate corners so as not to have a holographic elf walk through them, and then watched. One of the Valelorian elves was speaking.

“I was but a young girl of 50 summers when The Gap came. And even that is just a guess, for I have no certain knowledge of my age. The first memory I have I was in a garden. I held a ribbon in my hand. I assume I must have been dancing with it only seconds before. And I had absolutely no idea why I was there or anything that had ever happened to me. I remembered my name, and I knew what skills I had learned, but I had no memory of my life. It was utterly terrifying. I walked into the center of my village, wondering what it was called, and where I should go, and soon the square was filled with people who were living the same experience as me. Before long I realized that I knew things like which house was mine, and who my parents were. But they were just facts with no color. I had no memory of growing up with them. Was it a happy childhood up until that point? I have no idea. I will never know.

“But compared to the elders, I had it easy. There was an old man among us who I knew - again as a fact with no context - but I knew he was the keeper of our legends and traditions. He was the one our people must have looked to to carry on our stories, to connect us to our place in time, our past with our future. And they were gone from him. Whatever it was he once knew had simply been stolen right out of his mind.

“We elves do not measure time as the other races do. We think in terms of ages and epochs where others think in months and years. There are still records and tales from our time on Castrovel thousands of years ago, from before The Gap. We know what life was like in Valeloria 20 thousand years ago when our people first settled there, but of Golarion, where our people first came out of the forests, we know nothing. And the loss is truly bitter.”

Lili was transfixed by the 6 of them. Lithe, lovely, and yet so very sad. The Gap was ancient history to her, but these 6, all of them, she realized, had lived through it, and probably thought about it every day. They continued sharing their tales with her. Finally, one of the men made the request that Lili could tell they’d all been preparing her for.

“Emanon, you’ve devoted your life to learning our history. In Valeloria you would hold the greatest honor, and the greatest responsibility. Teach us who we were and where we came from. We implore you.”

Lili had an urge to run to Emanon’s cabin and bang on her door.  _ Don’t leave _ ! she silently pleaded. Lili knew it was selfish, but she wasn’t ready for Emanon to vanish from her life again. She’d never realized she could grow so close to another person in such a short time, but somehow it had happened. She only hoped that Emanon was as reluctant to leave her, but she’d seen the way the elves’ stories had touched her.

“You have given me much to consider, gentle friends,” Emanon was saying. “Let me meditate on your words before I deliver my answer.”

The elves bowed. Queen Heladra took her hand in hers and placed a kiss on it “We can ask no more of you than that,” she said. “We will await your decision.”

The six elves placed their masks back on their faces and left the room. Cheezy jumped up and deactivated the projector. “Pretty cool, huh?” he said, still on the verge of laughter. “What a bunch of bloviators!” Thohuko and Lili just looked at each other without speaking. Lili could tell he’d been similarly moved by the scene. “What?” Cheezy asked.

*******

“You spied on me?” Emanon asked Lili. The two of them had gone back to Lili’s room after the elves had left.

“What? No! We spied on  _ them _ . You wanted me in there with you,” Lili corrected.

“I wanted  _ you _ in there,” Emanon emphasized. “But all three of you watched.”

“Ok, fine. Thohuko and Cheezy spied on you,” Lili agreed.

“Well, what did you think?” Emanon asked, any trace of anger vanishing under the weight of her indecision. She sat down next to Lili on her bed. 

“I think you’ve been given a difficult choice,” Lili said carefully.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever find a way home,” Emanon said thoughtfully. “So if I’m stuck in this time, I need to find something to do with my new life, and I don’t think anyone would appreciate me more than the Valelorians.”

“I appreciate you, Em,” Lili said gently.

“Oh Lili,” Emanon said, grabbing her in a fierce hug. “I don’t know how I’d have managed without you.” They held each other for a moment, then separated. Emanon wiped a tear off her cheek and smiled. “So I take it you think I should stay with you?” she asked. Lili nodded.

Emanon stood up again and paced. “They deserve to learn their past. But to stay there and spend my years as their storyteller? Staying in one place has never been my style.”

“Maybe they’d be happy to simply have you visit for a few weeks at a time,” Lili suggested.

Emanon considered this, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. They’re so inward-focused. It took such a huge occasion to bring them all the way out here. But I don’t think they’d want me if I couldn’t stay and make a life among them. The degree to which they shun the outside races is extreme.”

“That doesn’t seem fair of them to demand,” Lili said.

“No? Probably not,” Emanon agreed. “But they’re still the only ones like me left. I want to be among my own people sometimes. I just hate that it’s either live only among them, or never among them.”

“There are the Forlorn,” Lili noted. “Elves who travel the stars. They’re rare, but they exist. That’s who I thought you were when we first met, remember?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Emanon said slowly. “Can you tell me anything about them?”

“Not much,” Lili admitted. “They typically only crew with their own kind, and they almost never interact with anyone else. I suppose they’re out there seeking answers about The Gap. I don’t know what else might drive them to that life.”

Emanon sat back down and sighed. “That doesn’t sound like a life I’d want for myself.”

Lili put an arm around her friend. “Why don’t you tell me about the life you  _ do _ want for yourself.”

Emanon leaned into the hug and smiled. “When I was young, there was a traveling theater troupe that used to come around every fall. The whole city would crowd into their tents every night they were there, and they’d perform songs, and stories, and they’d tell jokes. And on the last night, they’d perform an original production, pulled right from the tales of our own history. They’d spend the week leading up to it working on it, sitting with our loremaster and writing out an entire play in three acts, creating their play by day, doing their variety acts at night. And anyone who could get a seat inside for that last performance would talk about it for weeks afterward. They were the heroes who made  _ us _ feel like heroes, telling our own stories back at us in a way we’d never known them before.”

“That’s amazing!” Lili said.

“It was,” Emanon agreed. “And at the end, the script from their play would be a gift to our city so we could perform it ourselves after they left. For the longest time, I dreamed of joining them.”

Emanon sighed. “The elves on Castrovel want to know their own stories. They want to connect with their old heroes. I understand that better than anyone. I remember that wonderful feeling of being connected to my past when they performed their play each year. But what drew me to the dream of being in that theater troupe was the idea of going from city to city, telling  _ all _ those stories.”

“The elves aren’t the only race from Golarion, you know,” Lili reminded. “The humans, the dwarves, the drow, the half-orcs, and even the goblins would probably like to know their stories too.”

“You think I shouldn’t go to Valeloria?” Emanon asked.

“I think you should follow the path that makes you happiest,” Lili replied. “But only, don’t decide before you’ve performed your show tonight? There’s going to be a lot of different races eager to hear you tell their stories. Experience what it’s like to let them hear their own legends. Feel what it’s like to make  _ them  _ feel like heroes. Maybe then you’ll be able to choose.”

Emanon sighed and said, “Okay.”

*******

Back at the Royal Azlant, Karadite and Arden were still sifting through the trove of information that had already been made available to them. Karadite was disappointed to discover that the security footage she’d tried so hard to get, back when she was at Nevis’s, was mostly a bust.

The footage showed the 4 infiltrators, but blurry and out of focus. They saw two of them killed in the initial implosion (so they assumed at least, since they were still in the Starstone chamber when the camera was destroyed). The giant vesk that they guessed was Veznok made it out of the frame a few seconds before the explosion, apparently getting just far enough to survive the gravity pulse, but not far enough to avoid the lethal blast of radiation. But the one they assumed had to be Finisher appeared as just a black hole in the feed. They realized he had to be a powerful technomancer to manage a feat like that on all the footage taken of him and the others, but there were a lot of powerful technomancers on Absalom Station, and not all of them were known. And it meant they wouldn’t be able to run a facial recognition search.

They’d tried working backward to figure out where the team had originated, but all the feeds were similarly blurred and out of focus, all the way back to a crowded scene right as a theater was letting out, making it impossible to figure out which of the several thousand people they were looking for.

They knew what Veznok looked like at least, and they ran a facial recognition search to find out where he’d been on the station before the attack. That was how they’d learned he’d only been on the station for three days, and they found footage from when he’d grabbed the tech, but whatever answers he’d gotten out of him, he’d gotten on his own. The only indication he was working with anyone else was when Karadite noticed an ear bud protruding from his left ear.

They tried doing a search on Councilor Nanh, but discovered that she knew how to avoid cameras too. There weren’t any in her office, and they’d mysteriously shut down whenever she went out anywhere. Arden and Karadite were both impressed by that level of paranoia and power. If they were going to get a clue about Finisher from her, she’d have to give it up voluntarily.  _ Well, that’s basically my job anyway _ , Arden reminded himself. Interrogating her once she'd returned to the station was now one of the many items on his to-do list. 

“Karadite, let’s look at the list of people they’re planning to bring in for interviews,” Arden suggested. He figured he might be able to help with that much, at least. She did a quick search and brought up a summary. It was long. Most hadn’t been asked to give a statement yet, but he could see the team was working through it and would likely get at least an initial round of questions with all of them within the next couple of days.

“Arden, isn’t that…” Karadite pointed. A familiar image was on her display.

Arden did a double-take. “Why are they looking into Nevaz?”

*******


	11. The Debut Performance

The image of Nevaz floated in the air before them. As if to remove any doubt, his name appeared just above it. Arden got over his surprise and returned to the issue at hand. “Bring up his file. Let’s see why he’s on their radar.”

“Racial profiling?” Karadite suggested, but she brought it up anyway. They read it silently.

“You don’t actually think he’s connected, do you?” Karadite asked once they’d finished.

“I- I mean, I don’t think so,” Arden replied. “But apparently he’s been trying to get access to the Starstone since well before the attack, and he never even mentioned it to us.” He turned it over in his mind some more. Nevaz had been his ally in battle twice already, but that didn’t necessarily disprove anything. And scholar though he was, he was still a vesk. If Veznok had been motivated by his desire to trigger a war between the Pact and the Veskarium, could it possibly be the case that Nevaz harbored the same desire?

Arden shook his head. The notion was ridiculous. Plus, he was an empath, and he’d never detected anything from Nevaz that would suggest he was anything other than he appeared. “No, I don’t think he’s connected,” Arden said, more firmly this time. “But he’s going to be questioned anyway sometime today or tomorrow at the latest. I’d like to be the one to do it. Let’s go visit him. I can file a report when we finish and that way they shouldn’t bother him.”

“Isn’t the fact that you’re on the investigation a secret?” Karadite asked.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll just tell him it’s for an article. But if I can’t get him to talk to me, or if his answers aren’t enough to clear him of suspicion, then he’ll get a visit later today or tomorrow from the regular team.”

It took them about 30 minutes to reach the  _ Myriad _ . “Not very stylish,” Arden noted, as they walked up to it.

“It’s not the Royal Azlant,” Karadite admitted. “But if the Starstone can’t be repaired, I’d rather have an ugly ship than a luxury suite any day.”

Arden tilted his head, conceding her point. Then he took out his comm and called Nevaz. He answered a few seconds later. “Arden? To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked.

“I was hoping I could ask you a few questions for an article I’m working on. I’m right outside your ship. Would you let me inside, please?”

“Oh, just give me a moment then.” They heard the sound of Nevaz standing up and start walking before he ended the call. The gangway lowered a few seconds later and they walked inside.

“Hi Arden,” Jian said. “Welcome Karadite.” Nevaz stood just behind her and waved.

Arden looked around. “Is it just the two of you here?” he asked, trying to figure out why 6 sets of shoes, including one sparkly red pair that looked like they'd be more at home on a fashion runway, were piled up by the entrance.

“Actually, we have company,” Jian said smiling. “It’s been a little crowded today. Come on in and let me take your coat.”

"Arden?" a familiar voice called out. Emanon was dressed like a character from a storybook, with her leather tunic and forest green traveling cloak. Around her waist was a heavy cloth belt containing various pouches and a sheath for a wicked looking dagger. Taken together with her pointed ears and lithe build, the effect was oddly surreal.

"Emanon," he finally answered. "You look… different."

She laughed and ran back the way she'd came. "Guys, guess what? Arden and Karadite are here!"

"Who all is here?" Karadite asked.

"We've invited Lili and Emanon to live here for the time being," Nevaz said. " Then Cheezy showed up this morning, and we offered him a cabin. He's been pretty helpful with some of the maintenance issues we'd been postponing, so we're glad to have him. And Thohuko's here too for some reason, but we're not sure how long he plans to stay."

"Emanon says he's been following her around like a puppy," Jian whispered, then laughed.

All four of the guests came bounding down the hall a few moments later, welcoming Arden and Karadite to what seemed to be some sort of grand party.

Nevaz turned to Arden again. "You had some questions for your article?" he asked.

Arden nodded. "Perhaps we could go somewhere private?"

Nevaz looked puzzled, but simply waved for Arden to follow. Karadite shot him a questioning glance. 

Arden sent her a quick message. ***Wait here. I'll send if I need you.*** He still didn't think Nevaz had anything to do with the attack, but he wanted to know he had backup in case he was wrong.

*** _ I'll stay nearby. _ *** she replied through his link.

"So what did you want to ask me?" Nevaz inquired after they'd reached his lab. There were a number of electronic components Arden wasn't familiar with lying on a workbench, with one connected to a terminal with a spreadsheet showing.

"What are you working on here?" Arden asked. 

"Just analysing some broken sensor boards I've managed to acquire," Nevaz answered cryptically. "But surely you didn't come here to ask me about those. What did you want to discuss that required privacy?"

Arden heard an edge of tension in the question and wondered if the change of subject might indicate he was hiding something. "I have a source that tells me you've been making inquiries into the Starstone. Specifically trying to access it."

"Is this 'source' under the impression that I could have ulterior motives?" Nevaz asked.

Not a denial, but not a confirmation either, Arden noted. "I just wanted to know if it was true," he answered.

Nevaz paused and considered his answer. Finally he said, "and if it were, what would that tell you?"

Arden could detect a clear undercurrent of discomfort from the vesk now. He decided he'd try to put him back at ease. "It would tell me that the research that brought you to the station must be very interesting indeed, if it requires access to the Starstone to compete."

Nevaz chuckled in spite of himself. "You've no idea," he said. "You've made several insinuations here Arden, trying to get me to open up, but why don't you just ask me directly what you clearly want to know?"

Arden decided he owed his friend that much. "Okay, Nevaz. Did you have any connection to the attack?"

"I wondered why your bodyguard had come with you," Nevaz replied coolly. "I suppose she's ready to swoop in and shoot the scary vesk if I start threatening you?"

Arden said nothing and continued staring at Nevaz, tasting his emotions. He was angry, but didn't have the feel of someone about to attack. Very little guilt there either.

Nevaz huffed. "How about you tell me why I might have attacked the Starstone and I'll see if I can allay your fears?"

Arden considered how to do this without revealing information that wasn't yet public. "There are several theories about the motivations behind the attack. One theory posits that a rogue faction within the Veskarium wanted to weaken the Pact ahead of a future confrontation."

"There it is," Nevaz said bitterly. "The vesk who would dare approach the Starstone must be suspicious."

"The timing looks bad, you have to admit," Arden said gently. "Why won't you just tell me what you were researching?"

"For your 'article'?" Nevaz said sarcastically.

"Yes," Arden replied with a straight face.

"I guess I should have known someone would suspect me," Nevaz said mournfully. "But I came here in the cause of peace, not war."

Arden sensed he was finally ready to open up. "Why were you trying to access the Starstone, Nevaz?"

"Before I do, can you swear to secrecy?" Nevaz asked. "If what I'm about to show you convinces you I had nothing to do with the attack, will you tell whoever sent you that much, but not what I actually reveal?"

Arden nodded.

Nevaz slowly walked to a wall beside his workbench, as if suddenly carrying a great weight. He touched a panel and a compartment revealed itself. He took out a small box, about the size of a shoebox, and carried it back to where Arden could see it.

Nevaz paused directly in front of him. "Remember, this is secret. I didn't come here to start a war, but what's in here, might."

Arden's curiosity was near its limit. The hairs on his neck stood on end as Nevaz opened the box, revealing three brilliant jewels that sparked and shone with an inner fire. "I've never seen anything quite like these. What are they?"

"They might be shards of the Starstone," Nevaz replied. "I can't know for sure unless I compare them directly."

"How did you come to possess them?" Arden asked, intrigued.

"I found them on an asteroid mining operation," Nevaz answered him. "In Vesk space."

Arden finally understood. If the Vesk had stolen pieces of the Starstone and the Pact discovered it, the public would demand a response, even if it meant going to war to get them back. The relic wasn't just a power source, it was a religious artifact. To allow anyone else to possess it wouldn't just be unacceptable, to many of the Pact races and their deities, it would be sacrilege. If Nevaz had found these, then there could be others. No one ever directly entered the Starstone chamber. Even the maintenance team only used robots. But if Vesk agents had somehow stolen bits of it… Arden felt his shoulders tense at the thought. Bad enough to damage it, but to  _ steal _ it. Unforgivable. He wondered if he would come to regret promising to keep the finding secret.

While Arden pondered the significance of this new information, Nevaz looked down and suddenly frowned. Arden picked up a note of confusion in his emotions.

"Is something wrong?" Arden asked.

Nevaz opened his mouth to answer, then shut it again, the confusion beginning to feel more like distress. "I- I'm not sure," he finally answered. "I haven't seen them glow this brightly before."

He walked the box back toward their secret compartment. "They dimmed!" he said in surprise. "Not as much as usual, but I walked them over this way and their light faded a little."

Arden rushed over to look around his massive shoulder to see for himself. "I can't really see a difference," he said.

"Hm, no, I suppose you wouldn't," Nevaz said absently. "Human eyes aren't very sensitive." He walked back to the opposite side of the room. Arden thought he might have detected just a hint of brightening, but couldn't be positive.

"Did they get brighter when you went the other way?" Arden asked.

"Oh, uh, yes," the vesk replied, staring intently at his prize.

Without seeming to think about it, Nevaz went out the door, walking one way then another. Even Arden could tell they were getting brighter now. "Nevaz, you're about to reveal your secret," Arden warned. Nevaz wasn't listening. His face had begun reflecting an intense glow. They burst into a common area where the others sat sharing a plate of snacks together.

"What's in the box?" Cheezy asked. Nevaz didn't answer, and just kept walking. He suddenly turned and walked back, the stones becoming too bright for him to look at.

Emanon threw her hands in front of her face as Nevaz approached her. "Watch where you shove that!" she shouted, blinded by the intense brilliance.

"It's you!" Nevaz cried, shutting the box and plunging them back into relative darkness. "They're reacting to you!"

Emanon's face screwed up in a confused expression. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

Nevaz began laughing. The others giggled awkwardly, trying to figure out what was funny. His laugh kept growing. "I have no idea!" he finally burst out. "Haha! I haven't the least clue! Hahaha!" Like a crazed man who'd just heard the world's funniest joke, Nevaz slumped down gasping for breath as the fit finally drained from his body, an overjoyed smile stuck on his reptilian face, his box of treasures hugged tight against his scaly chest. 

*******

Arden excused himself to file his report with the investigation, clearing Nevaz of suspicion. He didn't like omitting information, but he kept the secret of the shards out of it, as he'd promised.

For his part, Nevaz refused to reveal what he'd been looking at before, and Arden wasn't going to say, so the others finally had to give up the issue and focus on something else.

For Emanon, that was easily accomplished. She had the upcoming performance to occupy her thoughts. “You’re not nervous are you?” Lili asked as they stepped out.

Emanon laughed a little too quickly. “Nervous? Haha, no! I’ve only been built up as some sort of second coming of Golarion with barely any idea what my audience actually expects, and material that hasn’t been culturally relevant in thousands of years!”

“Hey, calm down,” Cheezy cut in. “Remember how you felt last night on the stage? You were great!”

“I was also drunk!” she pointed out. “And I had the benefit of no expectations. Whereas tonight I’m actually being paid, and these people came specifically to see me.” She took several deep breaths as the lift carried them up through the station.

“You’re going to be wonderful,” Nevaz said with unmistakable conviction.

“He’s right,” Jian said warmly. “I’ve seen you in action. You’re amazing in front of a crowd, and your knowledge of history is incredible. You were born to do this.”

“Thanks you guys,” Emanon said. “I know it’s just pre-performance jitters, but this really is a huge moment for me. I want it to be perfect.”

Karadite walked in front of her and looked her in the eye. “Remember: they’re paying you the same, whether you do a good job or not.”

Emanon tried to figure out what she meant by that. “Is that supposed to help me relax, or...?”

But Karadite didn’t see any need to explain her comment further.

They arrived at the Arcanamirium around 7PM. Since Arden and Karadite were carrying Defender weapons, they were allowed to hang onto them while the others checked their own. Then Thohuko led them through the campus to the grand lecture hall, where the promoter they’d met the previous evening greeted them warmly and led them in through the backstage entrance. He was a Half-orc of impressive bulk and indeterminate age. He introduced himself to the rest of them as Korvax, and was clearly eager to keep things moving smoothly.

“Emanon, you’ll need to go with this gentleman.” He indicated a young man who looked like he might be a student. “He’ll show you to your dressing room where you can take care of your hair and makeup. Love your outfit, by the way!”

The rest of the party he invited to follow him to a set of seats reserved for friends, but Thohuko interjected before Emanon could be led away. “Um, actually, I had hoped I could stay with Em while she got ready.”

Lili piped up, “Me too. We’re sort of her prep team,” she declared. This was news to Emanon, but she liked the idea.

Korvax looked over at Emanon. “Your call, miss.”

She nodded and reached for her friends’ hands. “Come on, let’s get me all made up!” she said cheerfully. The man Korvax had indicated earlier led them away together. 

Arden, Karadite, Nevaz, Jian, and Cheezy followed Korvax to a section in the front row. Around them, people of every sort filed in, claiming their seats. Arden noticed one man in particular who seemed familiar. He pointed him out to Nevaz. “Isn’t that Harry - the one who rescued us from the transport bay?” he asked.

Nevaz looked in the direction Arden indicated and broke into a toothy smile. “I believe you are correct!”

“I assume the man whispering in his ear is his boyfriend or husband,” Arden mused. “Let’s invite them to take the seats Thohuko and Lili were going to get.”

Nevaz agreed and began waving in his direction.

Arden focused on Harry and sent him a message telepathically. ***Harry, it’s Arden. From the crash. Look to your left.***

Harry started in shock when he got Arden's message, but he turned his head as he'd been instructed. His eyes widened in surprised recognition. *** _ I see you! You can tell Nevaz to stop waving. _ ***

Arden turned to Nevaz and relayed the response. Then he directed his attention back to Harry. ***We have two empty seats here. Want to join us?***

*** _ Let me check with my husband _ *** Harry answered. Harry turned and began speaking quietly to the man next to him, pointing in the direction of Arden and the others as he did.

“Is he going to join?” Nevaz asked quietly. A moment later Harry flashed them a thumbs up sign as he took the man’s hand in his own and began carefully navigating the crowd toward them.

"Welcome!" Arden greeted warmly. Harry shook his hand.

Harry looked at the assembled group. “Let me see if I remember: Arden, Nevaz, Karadite, Jen, and... Cheezers?” Harry checked with each one.

“Jian,” the android corrected.

“Cheezers? Really?” the ysoki demanded indignantly. “It’s Cheezy,” he said firmly.

“Oh like that’s so much better,” Arden teased.

“Hey!” Cheezy warned.

Harry chuckled at the exchange. “I’d like to introduce my husband, Victor,” Harry said, indicating the middle-aged man in the black suit at his side, who smiled at each of them.

"Harry told me about your adventure," Victor said. "He didn't get home until the next day, and I was worried about him. But I'm glad he was able to save as many people as he did."

"We owe him our lives," Nevaz said seriously.

"A debt that was more than repaid when you fought off those Allips," Harry assured them. "Are Lili and the tall guy around here somewhere too?"

"You're actually sitting in their seats," Arden informed him. "They decided to go backstage with Emanon herself instead of watching from here. The three of them have become rather close."

The lights dimmed as a signal that the show was about to start. "You'll have to tell me about it after the performance," Harry said.

As the last seats were filling, Korvax led a young woman Arden didn't recognize down to their row.

"Hello," she said nervously. "I'm Timnah."

"Emanon told me to let her sit up front if she showed," Korvax explained to the others. Turning to the woman, he said, "Apparently she owed you a dress, and she's giving you free admission to her show in return?" Timnah nodded. "You cut it awfully close," he said with a wink.

Timnah took the last remaining seat up front as Korvax hurried up to the stage to get the show started. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, sentients of all races, I am proud to welcome you to this debut performance of Emanon, daughter of Lost Golarion, bard of a thousand tales. Please join me in giving her a huge round of applause!” The audience answered with excited claps and cheers.

Korvax extended his hand, and Emanon bounded onto the stage with a series of cartwheels and flips. She came to a halt, barely winded and smiling from ear to ear, right beside the Half-orc. The audience cheered louder in delighted surprise as Korvax left the stage and Emanon began her show. The house lights faded away, and the stage went dark, except for a single spotlight trained on the elf.

“The story of Golarion begins ages ago, back when it was home to the first ones, they who would one day be known as the gods. They lived there together, sometimes in peace, sometimes in strife, long before the fist mortals drew breath.” As she spoke, the stage lights came up, revealing a blue and white orb that had appeared in space beside her, starting as a tiny ball and slowly growing to over a meter wide. It began to turn, and Arden realized he was looking at an image of Golarion itself. The audience gasped in appreciative wonder.

“Where’s the projector?” Cheezy whispered.

“There isn’t one,” Jian whispered in response. “They say the ancient bards were masters of illusion magic. She’s doing this herself.”

Nevaz, Cheezy, Arden, Harry and others nearby all made quiet exclamations of amazement.

Karadite just said, “shh.”

On stage, Emanon had continued speaking. “...But the gods had an enemy they never suspected.” An ugly worm-like creature with scorpion’s claws emerged from the stage and slithered menacingly toward the illusory Golarion.

“Rovagug, the rough beast and devourer of worlds, had turned his baleful eye to the gods’ own world.” The creature began wrapping itself around Golarion. Everywhere it touched turned black.

“The gods banded together, desperate to save Golarion and themselves from the rough beast and its hideous followers." Sounds of battle began to ring out. Swords clashing, people shouting, as though from a great distance, a horn sounded. 

"Their battles were fearsome, but never decisive. The war between them lasted years, turning to decades, and from decades into centuries, and still they could not defeat him. The gods despaired to realize that Rovagug was too powerful to overcome. And as the battles raged on without final victory, many of their own number were killed, and Golarion itself bore the scars of their fighting.”

Back on stage, the sound of battle faded. Golarion and Rovagug disappeared. In their place, four orbs of light began to slowly spin around Emanon in a circle.

“The gods debated the matter amongst themselves. They put forth plans, desperate to stop him, if they could not defeat him: To hold him bound, sleeping, and unable to continue his destruction.”

The four lights came together in front of Emanon and merged into the figure of a strong man carrying a hammer. “It was Torag, god of creation, who proposed they build the Dead Vault, a prison of such awesome strength that even the rough beast itself might be kept within.”

The figure changed, and in place of a hammer, it wielded a sword. “Gorum, mighty in battle, lord in iron, worked with Torag to forge it, for the task was too burdensome for one god alone.” The sounds of a hammer working metal rang out throughout the auditorium.

The figure broke apart into the four lights again, slowly spinning in a circle. Within their circle a giant black jewel took shape. “Finally, Pharasma, the Gray Lady, surrounded it with giant rings of iron inscribed with powerful wards to bind its prisoner fast.” Two black, intersecting rings appeared surrounding the jewel, and the lights sped up until they made a ring of light shining between them. The audience stared in fascination. The ringing hammer struck one last time and then went silent.

“But building the prison was only the beginning. They still had to trap the rough beast.” The Dead Vault and the glowing orbs all vanished. The evil worm emerged out of the ground, and began crawling about, as if searching for something. The lights returned and merged together to make the form of a beautiful woman. The rough beast seemed to sense its arrival and turned toward it. A woman's musical laugh echoed across the stage as the figure cavorted around, always just beyond the worm's grasp.

“Calistria, the most beautiful of the gods, went out before him, inflaming him with lust. He pursued her, overcome by his desire, and did not see the trap she led him to.” Suddenly the figure burst back into orbs of light, which landed on Emanon herself, making her seem to glow. 

Emanon’s voice rose to a shout. “Sarenrae delivered the mighty blow that sent the rough beast down into the Dead Vault!”

Her face twisted into an expression of righteous rage as she leapt high into the air, then landed on the beast, striking it with her fist. As her blow connected, a burst of sound like thunder erupted from her.

“Then she laid a piece of the sun’s own fire down there with him, to torment him for all time.” The orbs of light left her body and surrounded the beast. It writhed in pain as the Dead Vault rose up out of the stage and imprisoned it within.

“Finally, Asmodeus laid a divine sleep spell upon him, and used a key to seal him inside.” The illusions faded and Emanon was alone on stage again.

“And so the Dead Vault remains, deep within the heart of Golarion, there to hold the rough beast eternally. And thus ends the story of the beginning.”

The audience burst into a round of applause. Emanon smiled and bowed, then waited for them to settle down again so she could continue.

“With the threat eliminated, the gods turned their attention to creation, for so many of their kind had died, and they wished for the land to be full of life once more.” Golarion appeared again, turning slowly.

“The elves were the first-” she was cut off as the lights winked out without warning. “Ah, sorry everyone,” Emanon yelled, “Just stay in your seats until the power comes back on please.”

The audience began talking quietly amongst themselves as they waited for the performance to start back up. A scream burst out from somewhere behind the stage.

“Arden, your ear buds!” Karadite commanded urgently. Arden quickly put them in.

From up on stage, Emanon brought up her glowing orbs again, bringing some light back. She sent them searching toward the direction of the scream, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, and there were no further screams. After several seconds she turned back to address her audience. “I think someone probably just tripped on something in the dark. Please stay calm.”

Suddenly, six Allips emerged through the backstage wall, flying towards her. The audience members began screaming warnings. Emanon quickly turned her head to see the threat. “Everybody run!” she yelled.

Instead of fleeing, Karadite vaulted onto the stage, and ran toward the attackers, weapon drawn. But Emanon didn’t try to escape. Instead, she ran toward the oncoming Allips and leaped into the air. A burst of sound erupted from her, similar to the one from before, but much louder. Three of the Allips were knocked back, and appeared disoriented by the attack. But the other three kept closing as if nothing had happened at all.

Nevaz, Arden, and Jian bounded onto the stage to help, moments after Karadite, but all four of them were too far to reach her before the three undamaged Allips attacked. Emanon shrieked as they surrounded her and began their assault. She fell to the ground beneath them, clutching the sides of her head in agony.

Karadite shot one of the attackers as she ran forward, and was rewarded by seeing it go reeling away in pain. But the other two continued to attack the helpless elf as if nothing had happened. Emanon’s lights winked out, plunging the stage back into darkness.

Arden desperately hoped that didn’t mean she was already dead.

Nevaz called forth his blade and it blazed to life, casting a weak circle of light around him, but they were too far from the Allips to see them. Suddenly four new lights appeared and raced toward the Allips, revealing their locations again. A voice yelled out from the darkness where the lights had originated, “Get away from her you monsters!” It was Thohuko, running full speed into the melee.

Arden aimed at one of the other Allips attacking Emanon and fired as he ran. But his aim was clumsy and the shot whizzed harmlessly past his target. Nevaz reached Emanon next and cleaved into one of her tormentors with his sword. It bit deep. The Allip staggered back, finally releasing its prey.

Jian grabbed Emanon, and dragged her away from the final Allip feeding on her. “You can’t have her!” she screamed at it. Three blasts of force slammed into it from the side and it twisted away, dazed by the unexpected attack. “Get her out of here!” Thohuko yelled at Jian as he prepared his next assault.

The Allips that had been staggered by Emanon’s initial attack recovered. As one, they began chanting. Arden had a dim awareness of their sound, like a mic had been turned down and drowned out by static, but couldn’t feel any other effects. Karadite glanced over at him, confirming that she too was still in control of her own mind. But beside him, Nevaz’s blade suddenly vanished, plunging him into darkness.

"Thohuko," Arden yelled. "If you're still there, I need light on Nevaz, now!" To Arden's relief, one of the balls of light hovered over to Nevaz. Arden knew Thohuko had resisted the hypnosis. But as he'd feared, the vesk had been hypnotized. 

“Nevaz, no!” Arden yelled, but there was nothing he could do as Nevaz began slowly walking toward the Allips. With his other three lights, Thohuko sought out the chanting shades, eventually finding two of them, but the third managed to elude him.

With targets in sight, Karadite and Arden both fired their weapons again, and both hit. The two chanting Allips vanished with a tortured final scream, their shadows appearing to be sucked back into the Starstone.

The Allip that Nevaz had cut into before raced to him and attacked. The attack partially restored him to his mind, but only enough to experience the agony. “Help me!” he managed to cry. The Allip’s ghostly form was halfway inside Nevaz, and none of them could shoot it without hitting the vesk as well.

Throwing caution aside, Arden reached out for the Allip’s mind and attacked it directly with his own. The sudden agony of its counterattack was worse than before, like being sent reeling by a hammer blow. Either he had been lucky the last time, or this Allip was better prepared to meet his assault. But either way, Arden’s own attack had succeeded in its purpose. The Allip vanished the same way the other two had, but there were still three left.

The vesk slumped forward heavily, but Arden couldn't do anything about it besides just pray that he was still alive. Any chance he'd had of using his mystic cure had been lost when he'd touched the Allip's foul mind.

One was still chanting somewhere, but in the echoing theater it was impossible to determine the direction of the sound. The others had vanished entirely. They were darting around the lecture hall, staying outside the range of Thohuko’s lights. Arden felt one close on him to attack from the darkness.

"Thohuko, I need light on me!" he yelled desperately. But the Allip vanished just as one of the balls arrived to reveal it. They continued to catch brief glimpses of them, but they’d move before either of them could line up a shot. The chase continued across the theater. Arden was at least relieved to see that the audience members had managed to escape. They were alone with the Allips.

Thohuko’s lights revealed one at the back of the room and he ran toward it. Karadite followed to provide backup. Arden found himself wishing she had asked for a longer range weapon. He started to follow too, when a scream broke out from somewhere near the stage. Jian's voice. He turned, seeing only darkness. Thohuko's lights began moving back in her direction, but they were still far away.

While they’d been distracted trying to find the final Allips, Arden realized that Jian must have walked right up to the last of the ones chanting. All three of them raced through the darkness to reach her. Arden was closest, but his weapon wouldn’t hit from that distance even if he could've seen her assailant, and he couldn’t use his psychic attack again after the damage he’d already endured while saving Nevaz.

Despite the initial scream, Jian wasn’t making any further sound.  _ She’s still hypnotized _ ! Arden realized with horror as he ran back.

***Jian’chi! You’re being attacked!*** he sent with urgency. Across the link, he sensed her mind return to itself, then felt her horror as she suddenly became aware of what was happening.

*** _ Tell Nevaz I’m sorry. And it’s not his fault _ *** Jian sent back. Arden kept running, not understanding her message, and not wanting to believe they’d lost her. Thohuko's lights finally found their target. Jian was slumped on the ground, unmoving. Two Allips had left her and started toward Emanon, but twin blasts of force caught them, one for each, and the pair vanished with awful screams.

The house lights finally returned, and almost immediately, another tortured scream from the back of the theater told Arden that Karadite had dispatched the final Allip. They ran to check on their friends. Arden reached Nevaz first. He was hurt, but he’d survive. Thohuko checked on Emanon and gasped with relief when he found her still breathing. Then they went to Jian, but neither Arden nor Thohuko knew how to check for vital signs on an android.

“Karadite,” Arden pleaded. “Help us with Jian!”

Karadite ran over and bent down to check her, placing both of her hands over the other android’s chest. Something startled her and she stood up slowly. “She’s gone into renewal,” Karadite said.

At her words, Thohuko looked like he’d been punched, and he shut his eyes in pain. 

“Renewal?” Arden asked, confused.

Karadite looked down at Jian sadly and said, “She’s gone.”

*******


	12. Coping Mechanisms

Emanon woke to unfamiliar surroundings. For the second time in as many days, she wondered if she'd made it to Elysium. The room she was in was dimly lit, but not dark. The walls were white. She was lying in a bed, and it was comfortable, but not how she imagined paradise. The bed at the Hanging Gardens was nicer. A faint beeping sound repeated at regular intervals. It was too new to be annoying yet, but she suspected it would get there.

She lifted the blankets and looked down at herself. Her regular clothes were gone, and in their place was a loose gown.

A faint snoring sound caused her to sit up and look around. She saw Thohuko and Lili on a pair of adjacent cots, fast asleep.

Emanon realized she must be in whatever passed for the temple healers’ quarters. Elysium would just have to wait a little longer, she decided. She looked behind her for the source of the beeping and saw a complicated display showing a silhouette of her body, along with an array of numbers with labels next to them that she didn't recognize. The beeping seemed to represent her heartbeat.

She tried to remember how she'd gotten there and realized she couldn't. The last thing she remembered were the Allips beginning their attack. Emanon shuddered.  _ Best not to think about that one if I can help it _ , she told herself.

Her bed creaked as she tested her limbs, to see if she was fully restored. The sound was enough to wake Lili. "You're awake!" she shouted excitedly, suddenly becoming wide awake herself. "Thohuko get up! Em's awake!"

Emanon tried to say "Hi," but her voice was a hoarse whisper.

"Don't try to speak right now," Lili said gently. "You've had a rough night."

"The healers say you were trapped in a nightmare," Thohuko told her. "When they began restoring you, you screamed yourself hoarse. I'm so sorry for what you went through." Emanon noticed that both of them looked like they'd been crying. She wondered how bad her own face looked. 

"What... happened?" Emanon managed to whisper.

"The audience got away," Thohuko began. "So there's that at least. Cheezy actually helped with the evacuation, thanks to his natural ability to see in the dark. He stayed until everyone else had gotten out. There were the usual injuries you get when a lot of people are all trying to move quickly in a confined space, but I don't think anyone suffered worse than a broken limb. Not pleasant obviously, but no one was trampled to death. In the circumstances, that's actually pretty remarkable."

Emanon nodded. When the attack came, her first thought had been her audience's safety. Yelling at them to run might not have been the best way to save them, she realized, so she was glad they were mostly ok.

"But, there were also two deaths," Thohuko said slowly.

Emanon gasped in horror.

"The scream you heard before the attack was a security guard. The Allips were moving past him when he caught them in the beam of his flashlight. We know he fired his weapon, but we don't think it had any effect. They surrounded him and attacked. There was no way to save him at that point."

"But in a way, he saved you," Lili pointed out. "Without his scream, you wouldn't have had your lights out when they broke through. They might have attacked in the dark before anyone realized you were in danger."

Emanon nodded, digesting this piece of information soberly.

"The other fatality," Thohuko began, but then stopped. He seemed to have difficulty forming the words this time. A knot formed in Emanon's stomach.

"Who?" she demanded in her hoarse whisper.

Lili's eyes began to shine with fresh tears. "Jian," she said.

Emanon was in shock. She'd gotten to know Jian well since the Starfinder Society. When they'd explained what it meant that she was an android, Emanon had imagined she might live as long as any elf if she decided to.

"How?" she whispered, tears beginning to dampen her own cheeks.

"She didn't have a weapon," Thohuko began. "But when Nevaz, Arden, Karadite and I ran on stage, she came too. We ran at the Allips, and she ran at you, trying to pull you away from the battle.

"In the commotion of the fight, we didn't realize she'd been hypnotized until it was too late. Arden used a telepathic message to bring her out of their control, but we couldn't get to her fast enough. We think she decided to release her soul rather than allow the Allips to finish feasting on it."

"She literally pulled you from their attack," Lili said. "The healers are saying that, if she hadn't done it, you probably wouldn't have survived." 

"Nevaz?" Emanon asked urgently.

"He was hurt in the attack," Thohuko told her. "Not as bad as you. He's in one of the nearby rooms, but he's not taking visitors right now."

_ So, I owe my life to two people who died saving it _ , Emanon thought bitterly.

"I can't get over how brave she was," Lili said, beginning to openly weep. "Neither of us had weapons, but while I... hid backstage, she... ran forward, and she…" Overcome with her emotions, she lost the ability to speak.

Emanon reached out to hug her and the other woman fell heavily into the embrace, all her shame and sorrow pouring out in thick sobs that racked her body. Emanon's own tears began to flow as well.

She'd never wanted anyone to die for her. Outliving friends was an unavoidable fact of life for elves who chose to travel among the other races. But it never got easier. And she'd never lost one like this. Seeing them age and fade was one thing, but to be struck down protecting her, this was new torment.

Lili’s sobs grew quieter as the time passed. Neither Emanon nor Thohuko made any move to interrupt her grieving, but the woman eventually pulled back from the embrace and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

Lili looked at the mess she’d made. “Oh no, I got snot all over your shoulder.” Emanon and Lili both giggled a little at this. Thohuko handed Lili a cloth of some sort. She blew her nose and then offered it back, but he shook his head and refused to accept it.

Emanon motioned for help standing up, and with their assistance, slowly got out of the bed. “Where’s Nev?” she asked. Thohuko and Lili shared a nervous glance.

“It sounds like your voice is getting a little stronger,” Thohuko said evasively.

Emanon put a hand on her hip and glared at him.

“Come on,” Lili said. “Maybe he’ll be willing to see you.” She led Emanon out of the room and down a short hall. She turned at an intersection and pointed at a door across from them. “He’s in there. He’s still recovering, but he won’t let any of us visit.”

Emanon walked on still-unsteady legs to reach the indicated door. She knocked twice. “Go away,” came Nevaz’s booming voice. She opened it anyway and peeked inside. “I said go- Oh, it’s you." Nevaz sighed. He didn't invite her in, but he stopped shouting at her to go away. Emanon took this as an invitation and let herself the rest of the way inside. Nevaz stared at the ceiling without acknowledging her.

Emanon wasn't comfortable speaking yet anyway, so she sat near him on a corner of his bed and shared his silent grief.

The minutes passed slowly, neither speaking, as the sounds of the hospital surrounded them. Emanon wasn’t naturally patient, but found the time slipping away easily just the same.

“She liked you very much you know.” Nevaz’s first words in over an hour came as a surprise.

Emanon replayed the comment in her mind before answering. “I liked her too.” Her voice didn’t sound quite so weak now, she noticed.

“She begged me to quit my work on the station and get away from here.” Grief made his words thick and difficult. “She was terrified of the Allips.”

Emanon understood that easily enough. “What work are you doing?” she asked.

Nevaz shifted his weight around. He stayed silent for such a long time that Emanon was sure he wasn’t going to answer. “I’ve been investigating the Starstone,” he finally told her.

“That box you held before, what was in it?” she asked, suddenly curious again.

“Shards. Mysterious ones,” he said. “Their properties aren’t similar to anything else I can find recorded, save the Starstone. I’ve been trying to access it for months in order to find if they came from it. But they won’t let me.”

“And they got brighter when they approached me,” she said slowly, possibilities unfolding in her imagination.

“So what?” Nevaz grumbled. “The Starstone brought you here. Those shards are probably bits of it. Of course there’s some residual connection between you and it. Why wouldn’t there be? It doesn’t matter. I was a fool to stay aboard this cursed station. Jian knew it, but she agreed to stay because I told her it was important. How could I think anything was more important than her safety!” this last came out as the tortured wailing of a grief-sick man.

“What will you do now?” she asked gently.

“I won’t stay here, that’s for sure,” he declared bitterly. “I don’t owe these people anything. They never cared for me anyway.”

Emanon saw a tear roll down his cheek and wiped it away. She gave him a sad smile. “I cared for you. So did Lili, Thohuko and Cheezy. I know Arden respects you. I think even Karadite likes you, but she’s a hard one to read. But I assure you, there are those on this station who cared.”

Nevaz paused before saying anything else. Emanon caught a tear on his other cheek and wiped it away as well.

“You could come with me,” he finally said. “I couldn’t save Jian, but I can save you. You and the others.”

It was quite an offer, and Emanon could tell he meant it.  _ I could travel the stars _ , she thought, testing the idea in her imagination.  _ There are worse ways to spend one’s days _ , she decided.

Finally she shook her head and sighed regretfully. It wouldn’t do. “Jian didn’t believe that the Starstone brought me here by accident,” she told him in a quiet voice. “She believed I had a part to play before the end, and I think she was right.”

“But Emanon,” he sounded almost pleading.

“I’m where I need to be,” she said.

“How can you know that?” he demanded.

“Because the shards glowed for me,” she answered. “And because Jian was wise.”

Nevaz stared at her, unable to come up with an answer to that. He laid back in his bed in defeat. Emanon stood up and walked to the door, leaving her friend, and hoping he could see a clear path to follow.

*******

Arden and Karadite returned to the Royal Azlant. It wasn’t far from the Arcanamirium, so they walked. Without explaining why, Karadite carried Jian’chi’s body over her shoulder with her. When he’d asked her why, she’d merely said, “To complete the Renewal she began.” He’d pressed her to explain further, but she saw no purpose in expending more words on the matter.

Upon entering the hotel lobby, Karadite’s burden generated a number of confused stares and disapproving whispers. As usual, they made the mistake of thinking that just because they were too quiet to be heard by one another, she wouldn’t be able to hear them either. But the words didn’t bother her. Just ignorant non-androids leaping to conclusions about matters they didn’t understand. At least no one from the hotel staff made any move to impede her.

They reached her room and Karadite carried Jian’s old body to the bed, closing the door to keep Arden outside. She undressed the body, taking off the long flowery dress of the sort Jian had always preferred, and dressed it in a plain gray outfit as close to the traditional style for Renewal as Karadite had available from among her own things. Karadite was taller than Jian had been, so the sleeves and pant legs had to be rolled up a little, but they would suffice.

This task accomplished, she left the bedroom and came back out to the sitting area where Arden appeared to be mulling something over in his head. He turned when Karadite approached.

“Finished what you needed to do?” he asked.

“For now, yes,” she replied.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to explain,” he ventured.

“I already told you, it’s to complete the Renewal.” If he didn’t understand, he would soon. And it wasn’t her job to explain things anyway.

Arden made an unsatisfied “hmph,” but didn’t bother pressing the issue further. He changed the subject instead. “I don’t think the Allip attacks have been random,” he told her. “Every time we’ve fought them - four times now - we happened to be in the path between them and their actual target.”

Karadite’s eyes narrowed as she considered this. In the engineering section outside the rocket room, the Allips had attacked the fire elementals first. In the hospital, the possessed Kasatha had shot Veznok, their witness. At the Hanging Gardens, they’d been after Emanon and Lili, or possibly only one of the two women. And in the lecture hall earlier that night, they’d very obviously been after Emanon. Everyone else was just in their way.

“They’re attacking people connected to the Starstone incident,” she said, realizing his conclusion.

“Right,” Arden said. “That’s what I’m thinking. Veznok was a witness, and Emanon and the fire elementals were transported by the Starstone itself. Somehow that’s turned them into targets. I’d stopped thinking the attacks were random the moment Veznok was attacked, but it took the attack at the theater before I realized Emanon and the fire elementals were targeted too.”

“There’ve been other attacks though,” Karadite said. “You reported about them in your article.”

“I did,” Arden agreed. “But at the time, I had been assuming they were random encounters. I asked the security services to provide me with raw numbers of attacks and how many were fatal, but I didn’t ask any information about the circumstances of the attacks. I think that was a mistake. It’s hard to notice a pattern when you’re not expecting to find one.”

“So what’s your plan?” Karadite asked.

“I want you to get me all the data you can about all the known Allip attacks since the incident,” Arden ordered. “Get a warrant if it’ll make things faster. I want times, locations, information about victims, who reported, and video if you can get it. Let’s see if there’s a pattern that might lead us back to Finisher.”

“Alright, anything else?”

“Yes. We need to protect Emanon. With the fire elementals gone, she’s the only target we know about, and we should assume she’s still in danger.”

“Should we tell her to seek protection from the station security services?” Karadite asked.

“Ideally we should get her off the station for her own safety,” Arden said, still thinking. “But she’s our best lead at this point.” His face puckered up as if he’d just eaten something sour. “I’m not going to use her as bait, but if she’s willing to stay on Absalom, I suspect she’s holding onto a clue we’ll need later.”

“How do you intend to protect her then?” Karadite asked.

Arden stared at the ceiling, seeming to weigh options. “The Allips don’t seem to know where she is until they get close. Then they seem to be able to follow her anywhere. We advertised her show at the Arcanamirium all over the station. That’s probably how they knew they’d find her there. On the other hand, she spent a lot of time on the  _ Myriad _ without being attacked. Only a few people on the station knew she was there. If we have her stay at station security HQ, there will be a lot of people around her at all times trained to fight. And that’s definitely a point in its favor. But on the other hand, a lot of people will suddenly know where she is.”

“So why not leave her on the  _ Myriad _ ?” Karadite suggested. “She likes it there.”

“Yeah, but aside from Thohuko, none of them have proven themselves all that good in a fight against them,” Arden lamented. “She needs protection in case they  _ do _ find her.”

“ _ I _ wasn’t any good in a fight against them either,” Karadite reminded. “Not until you got me this,” she said, indicating the sonic pistol at her hip.

Arden paused, considering her words. “Would they let me…” he said, trailing off.

“Let you outfit everyone on the ship?” Karadite finished. “I’m still amazed you were able to get a pair of  _ these  _ weapons. Clearly you have some kind of pull that you didn’t used to.”

Arden winced involuntarily. He tried covering it up, but Karadite had already noticed him do it several times since the fight. “You were hurt in the battle,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

“That obvious, huh?” he sighed.

Karadite looked at him directly. “You never offered to heal any of our injured, even though I know you healed Veznok enough to keep him alive while you interrogated him.”

Arden sighed. “When the Allip attacked Nevaz, I couldn’t get a shot without hurting him too. So I used a mental attack on it. It saved his life, so no regrets on that score. But it messed me up pretty badly. At the moment, I’m pretty sure I can’t do anything more difficult than a short telepathic message.”

“Why didn’t you go to the hospital with the others?” Karadite asked, accusation heating her words.

“I don’t like hospitals. Someone almost killed me last time I visited one,” he tried a slight grin. 

Karadite was having none of it. “You followed me because you were curious about what I was doing with Jian’s body, something I made pretty clear to you was none of your concern. You aren’t an android. Your curiosity probably makes you a good investigator, but you should have been tending to your own health.”

“I’m sorry, I should go,” Arden said, shamefaced.

“To a hospital,” Karadite agreed.

Arden winced again, as another one of the headaches hit him. He didn’t bother trying to cover it up this time. Karadite appreciated that at least. He looked at her and nodded. “I think you’re right. I’ll call you if I need you later. Good luck with - whatever it is you’re doing here.”

“Luck is not involved,” she assured him. “Good-bye, Arden.”

He exited the suite without looking back. As soon as he closed the door, Fuzzy bounded from her hiding place.

“Hey there little carnivore!” Karadite cooed in greeting. “We’re about to have a new friend soon.” Karadite re-filled Fuzzy’s food dish and looked in the direction of the bedroom, wondering how much longer it would take.  _ As long as it takes _ , she told herself, without the slightest hint of impatience.

*******

Arden checked himself into Absalom General. It was late, and he was relieved to see that it wasn’t the same person as last time sitting at the reception desk checking people in. He’d never actually updated his blog to explain the events of his previous visit, and he didn’t want to answer any awkward questions about the half-thought out declaration he’d made as he’d run through the waiting area the previous day.

He filled out a questionnaire about his symptoms, then handed the datasheet back to the receptionist and sat down until someone was ready to examine him. The headaches hadn’t gotten any better, and he had finally grown genuinely concerned about his condition. Jeri had made it clear that he was putting his soul at risk if he attacked an Allip with his mind. He had done it anyway, and if it meant he’d never be able to cast again, he supposed it was still a fair trade for saving Nevaz when no one else could. But he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

While he waited to be seen, he decided to go through with Karadite’s suggestion. If he really had unlimited credit at the moment, this might be the best way to use it. He filled out a requisition form with Abadarcorp for an amount so horrendously expensive he felt his hands tremble as he finally submitted it through his communicator. They’d probably reject it, he assured himself. But he couldn’t know unless he asked.

After a few more minutes waiting, a kasatha came out calling for “Finder, Arden.” Like most kasatha, there was no way to distinguish its gender, but it spoke in a pleasant voice that he decided sounded more feminine than masculine, as he stood up and presented himself, so he decided to think of it as a “her.” She led him back through the main receiving area to a medical examination room. “The healer will be with you shortly,” she assured him, then left.

Arden didn’t have long to wait. A short, burly lashunta man walked in a few minutes later. He had a pair of odd-looking goggles strapped to his head.

“So, thought you’d go mind-to-mind with a spectral assassin,” he began without preamble. “Fascinating!” He broke into a wide smile as he said this.

“He had it coming,” Arden said with a grin.

“Oh I have no doubt that’s true,” the healer responded, nodding sagely. “Let’s have a look at you.” He brought the goggles down from his head and placed them over his eyes.

“Hm, yes, I see,” he muttered to himself. “Temporary soul damage, no question. Not permanent though, luckily. Still - can’t be fun.”

“No, it’s really not,” Arden answered. “This happened to me once before. But I got some rest and felt fine afterward. This time feels a lot worse though.”

“That’s not unusual with undead,” the healer said, removing the goggles. “Sometimes the effect is stronger or weaker, just depending on the situation. With enough time, you could recover on your own, but it’d take a few days. I can let you go home and rest, or if you like, I can treat you now.”

“I’d really like to get back to 100%,” Arden said. “I want to be at the top of my game.”

“Well in that case, you’ve come to the right place,” the healer assured him. “I’m going to need you to relax, Mr Finder. Have a seat on the table and lay back. I’m going to cast a lesser restoration spell on you. You might feel some pressure on your mind, but nothing more.” The lashunta pointed at the examination table and waited for Arden to make himself comfortable before continuing.

“I noticed you had some mystic talent yourself,” the healer said conversationally. “Once we’re done, I could probably teach you this technique, if you happen to have the aptitude for it.”

“Really?” Arden asked with interest. “I’ve never been able to perform a spell that complex before.”

“We’ll have to get you fixed up first,” the healer said with a shrug. “But it looked like you had enough talent. You might want to consider practicing some of the more difficult spells. It just may be that you’re experienced enough now to manage them, even if you couldn’t before. But we can talk about it later. Let’s get started.”

From the table, Arden nodded. The healer placed his hands on either side of Arden’s head and began breathing deeply. As he exhaled, Arden felt a soothing surge of mystic energy wash over him. His head felt like it was humming at a low, resonant pitch. The humming seemed to spread over him, until his whole body began to thrum along with the vibration. All at once, Arden felt wide awake, as though a jolt of caffeine had been poured through him. The healer ended his spell and removed his hands, looking a little tired, but smiling. “How do you feel?” he asked.

Arden stepped off the table and began bouncing in place with the sudden surge of fresh energy coursing through him. “I feel great!” he said, surprised. He tested his head, touching his fingers gingerly to his temples. “Is that it?” he asked.

The healer put his goggles back on and checked Arden again. “Hm, you’re not  _ quite _ at 100%, but you certainly will be by morning.” He took the goggles back off. “But if you’re interested, I can teach  _ you _ the technique I just used. You should be recovered enough to cast now. When you’re done trying, I’ll be able to tell you if it worked or not.”

Arden thought about all the spells he’d been too weak to learn before. If he could learn to cast a lesser restoration, he could probably create a zone of truth, or hurl a force disk. He nodded at the healer, eager to try.

“To begin, place your hands on the patient’s temples,” the healer instructed. “Yours, in this case.”

Arden did as he was told.

“Close your eyes, and visualize your hands not as they are, but as the energy that flows through them,” the healer continued. Arden tried to picture this. He thought he could feel the flow the healer described.

“Now reach into your reserve of mana, same as you do for any other spell, and push it into your hands. Push as much as they can take, and then hold it ready. Nod once when you’re ready to continue.” Arden had to struggle at first with this new step, but after a couple of false starts, he thought he had it ready to go.

“Ok, this part is going to be a little trickier because you’re your own patient, but you’re going to need to take deep breaths, and each time you exhale, imagine the hands pushing into your head. You’re going to be pushing healing energy, but picture it as though it’s your actual hands.”

Arden took a deep breath and as he exhaled, tried to picture his hands pushing into his head. He began to feel the same humming he’d felt when the healer had done it. He was so surprised he nearly stopped what he was doing.

The healer noticed. “Concentrate, Mr Finder! Don’t let up now! You’re nearly there.”

Arden got control of his breathing and fell into a rhythm, letting the energy flow through his head and throughout the rest of his body.

The healer made an approving sound and resumed his lesson. “When the patient’s body is completely filled with the mystic energy, release the spell and remove your hands. It will be easier in this case, since you’ll feel the energy both as healer and patient. But with practice you should be able to sense it just as easily whenever you do it on someone else.”

After a few more seconds, Arden felt the energy reach all the way to the soles of his feet and brought the spell to an end. He opened his eyes and smiled. “So how’d I do, doc?”

The healer put his goggles back on and examined Arden once again. “Excellent job, I’d say! You’ve just performed a second-order spell, Mr Finder. Was that the first time?”

"It was," Arden said with a nod, still marveling at his new skill.

The healer removed his goggles once again and extended his hand. “Then I believe congratulations are in order.” Arden was impressed by the other man’s strength as he gripped his hand and shook it vigorously. “I can recommend an instructor if you’d like to learn more spells like that one, and of course, there’s some good material on the Infosphere that might come in handy.”

Arden flushed with the excitement of the new experience. He thanked the healer for both the treatment and the lesson, then headed out of the examination room.

He was about to head to back to his motel room, when he heard his name called from the waiting room. He looked up and was surprised to see Lili waving to him. Cheezy was sitting next to her. Arden hurried over to talk with them.

“Any word on Nevaz and Emanon?” he asked.

“They’re both awake and recovering,” Lili replied. “They’ll be ok, but they’re both pretty upset about what happened. Emanon went in Nevaz’s room a while ago, and he won’t let anyone else visit, so we decided to wait here.”

“Where’s Thohuko?” Arden asked. “Is he around here somewhere?”

Cheezy gave a short laugh. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Lili rolled her eyes. “Last I saw, he was still hanging out in the hallway outside Nevaz’s room, I guess waiting until she comes back out. I don’t want to judge another person’s crush, but he’s starting to take on a bit of a stalker vibe. I don’t think he’s been more than 10 meters away from her at any point since he showed up on the  _ Myriad _ this morning.”

Arden thought about that. “He did save her life,” he said with a shrug.

“Ok, good point,” Lili said. “It’s probably a good thing he’s stayed so close. But you have to admit, it’s a little weird.”

Arden wondered if Thohuko had somehow known Emanon was in danger. He was certainly glad he’d been nearby when the attack had happened. He decided he’d ask the young man about it later, privately. “I guess it’s up to Emanon whether she minds or not,” he finally said.

“Where’s Karadite?” Cheezy asked him.

“She went back to her hotel room,” Arden said. “With Jian’s body.” This bit of information got their attention.

“What?” Lili asked.

“Why?” Cheezy added.

“I don’t really know,” Arden shrugged. “She says it’s part of something called ‘Renewal,’ and when I asked her to explain, she insisted it was an android thing and not my concern.”

“Oh,” Cheezy said. The other two looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He sighed. “Dead android bodies don’t tend to stay dead for very long.”

“You mean she’s going to come back to life?” Lili asked, confused.

Cheezy shook his head. “That’s not what I said.” Cheezy looked at the two of them and gave them a sympathetic expression. “If Karadite’s got her, then you’ll see for yourself what it means soon. Just be patient. But when you see Jian again, just realize that it won’t be Jian anymore.”

Arden considered his words. “I think I understand, Cheezy. But I’ve never heard of that before.”

Cheezy shrugged, “Androids don’t share everything with outsiders, but it’s not a secret. Spend enough time around them, like I have, and it’s just something you learn.”

Lili still didn’t get what they were saying. “What do you mean, when I see Jian again, she won’t be Jian?”

But their conversation was cut short as Emanon and Thohuko suddenly came through the door. She was wearing the same tunic and leggings from her performance.  _ Her usual clothes, not just a costume _ , Arden reminded himself. It was still surreal to think of her as being an actual Golarian elf, and not just someone dressed up ascosplaying one.

Arden noticed that Thohuko had a strangely cowed attitude around her, especially for someone who had so recently saved her life. For her part, Emanon ignored Thohuko completely and turned to the receptionist. “Do I pay here, or…”

The receptionist smiled and shook his head. “No, just sign these forms and you can be on your way. Medical care is free to residents of Absalom Station,” he explained.

“Wow,” Emanon said gratefully. “Wish the temple healers back in my day were like that.”

Lili, Arden, and Cheezy waited for her to finish her paperwork, then Thohuko and Emanon walked over and joined them.

“So, Thohuko has something he needs to tell everyone,” Emanon announced. Thohuko winced. Emanon waited for him to speak then started talking when he didn’t. “I came out of Nevaz’s room and who should I find waiting,” she turned and pointed. “Now I’m no stranger to admirers, but he must’ve stood there for over an hour. And when I confront him about it, you know what he tells me?” she waited for them to guess. “Thohuko, want to jump in at some point?” she turned a glare in his direction.

“I told her I was protecting her,” he said.

“Not the important part, Thohuko!” she shot back.

“I’m getting there,” he said glumly. She tapped her foot and motioned for him to hurry up. Thohuko sighed. “I told her that I’d been given a message by Sarenrae to stay near her, because her life was in danger.”

The others gasped.

She punched his arm. “Ow!” he said in hurt surprise.

“You knew!” she yelled at him. “You knew I was in danger and you didn’t bother to tell me or anyone else! We could’ve been prepared. We certainly could’ve avoided going out in public and putting all those other people in danger. Why did Jian and that poor security guard have to die just because  _ I _ was in danger?”

None of them had ever seen this side of her. She was genuinely furious, and a little frightening.

“I’m sorry,” Thohuko said to her. She motioned to the others gathered there. Thohuko gathered her meaning and addressed the others. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. He looked back at Emanon with a pleading expression. “I just didn’t want to scare you. I thought that if I stayed close to you, I could handle whatever danger you were in. I just wanted you to put on your show and live the life you seemed to want. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I never meant for anyone to get hurt.”

The fury in her expression softened, but only a little. “It’s not fair,” she burst out. “I want to hate you for what happened to Jian and me. Nevaz too.”

“But you don’t?” he asked with a touch of hope leaking into his expression.

“I don’t know,” she said.

“If you want me to go…” Thohuko began.

“Oh shut up!” she yelled. “I’m mad but I’m not suicidal. Sarenrae said you had to stay by me or I was basically a goner. I imagine tonight proved that prophecy true enough. So you’re stuck with me, but that doesn’t mean for a second that I’ve forgiven you.” She wiped an angry tear from her cheek and turned her back to him.

A beeping tone informed Arden that he had a new message. He excused himself from the awkward gathering so he could read it privately. His jaw dropped as he read through the communication. When he trusted himself to speak in a normal voice, he returned to the group. Emanon was still trembling in her anger, while Thohuko looked on uncertainly, neither daring to speak, nor able to leave.

“Guys,” Arden interrupted. They turned and looked at him, appearing grateful for the distraction. “Emanon needs to be protected, and I think we can all agree that more people defending her would be better. I happen to have a line on some high quality weapons, similar to the one Karadite and I were using tonight, and for any of you willing to face the dangers of being Emanon’s bodyguards, you’ll be permitted to carry them.”

“Defenders? Like yours?” Cheezy asked, his interest clearly piqued.

Arden nodded. Cheezy gave out a low whistle. “Most places won’t make you check a Defender when you walk in. That’s why he and his android friend were still packing when the shit went down earlier.”

“That’s right,” Arden said.

“You, uh, care to tell us any more about this ‘source’ of yours?” Cheezy inquired with obvious interest.

“I’m afraid you’ll just have to trust me,” Arden replied. “But if you’re up for this assignment, I’ll let you pick from a list of weapons and I’ll arrange for your selection to be delivered by morning.”

The others all looked at each other in mute surprise. Arden wondered if any of them knew just how expensive the weapons they’d be handling actually were. He suspected Cheezy did, but of the others he was less sure. One by one they nodded their assent, last of all Cheezy.

“Then if you don’t think Nevaz will mind, I propose we stay together on the  _ Myriad _ until whatever danger has passed.”

“He’ll let us,” Emanon said firmly. “He invited us to board his ship with him and leave the station, in fact.”

Cheezy’s jaw dropped, “What!?”

“I refused,” she said quickly.

“Why?” Cheezy asked, confounded by this new information.

“Because the Starstone didn’t bring me here by accident,” Emanon said. “Jian told me so herself, and now I’m sure she’s right. Even Sarenrae is watching over me, apparently. So I need to face the danger and figure out whatever it is I’m meant to do.”

Cheezy looked like he might fall over, but he didn’t say anything else. He just shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around his head.

“Well then,” Arden resumed. “The  _ Myriad _ it is, I guess.”

Emanon looked at Arden, Lili, and Cheezy and thanked each of them. She pointedly avoided looking at Thohuko, who did his best to pretend he hadn’t noticed her snub.

The five of them left Absalom General and headed to the Myriad. Back on the ship, Arden brought up a catalog and helped each of them make their weapon choices, then made the arrangements he’d promised in order to have them delivered by morning.

It was nearly 4am by the time they had all finished. Arden was still wide awake, thanks to the residual effects of the restoration, so he stayed up and worked on a new article while the others went to sleep.

*******

It was still a few hours before the station’s dawn. Karadite was asleep on one of the sitting room sofas when her cycle was interrupted. Fuzzy only complained a little when she took the cat off her chest and sat up. Intuitively, Karadite looked in the direction of the bedroom, then smiled.

Jian’s former body stood in the doorway, the room’s dim lighting making it difficult to see her expression, but Karadite knew without needing to see that the android would be confused right now, and probably a little nervous.

Karadite walked slowly across the room, so as not to startle her. “Hello, young one,” she said gently. “I am Karadite. Welcome to the universe.”

*******


	13. Finding Finisher

## Undead Attack During Golarion Bard’s Debut Performance: 2 Dead, Dozens Hurt

_**Arden Finder** _

_**Pact Worlds Newswire Service** _

Much has been written about last night’s attack already. What we know so far is that six Allips attacked in force under the cover of another blackout. It was the single largest attack recorded since the incident that brought them to Absalom Station in the first place. And it was only luck that stopped it from being much worse.

The Arcanamirium policy of requiring most visitors to check their weapons on entering meant that few in the audience were armed, and few had sufficient magical training to provide an effective unarmed defense. The security personnel on location were unable to enter the theater once the attack began, as all exits were utilized to assist escaping audience members.

Most of the injuries happened during the escape, rather than the attack. As the theater was completely dark, evacuation had to be coordinated by the roughly one fifth of the audience who still retained the ability to see. The process was stressful and dangerous, as the reader can imagine, and several people were very nearly trampled. Some remain hospitalized as of this article’s writing. But miraculously, none were killed.

The first fatality was a security officer who was patrolling backstage when the power went out. Officer John Pike is being remembered today as a hero, whose actions, while ultimately unsuccessful at stopping the attack, nevertheless gave enough warning to prevent the Allips from fully surprising their prey. His flashlight illuminated the Allips as they moved in to attack. He managed to discharge his service weapon, but was immediately overwhelmed by the spectral attackers. He was killed in the line of duty, but his scream gave precious warning that an attack was imminent.

As soon as the Allips emerged onto the stage, they were illuminated, this time by the bard Emanon, who had been performing just moments previously. Her spell, known as dancing lights, and familiar to any technomancer, was already out and searching, thanks to Pike’s dying scream. As a result, the Allips lost the element of surprise when they attacked.

The shades immediately tried to surround Emanon. She managed to strike three of them using a sound-based attack, but the others resisted it and continued their assault. A handful of audience members joined in the defense, but Emanon lost consciousness and her lights went out, returning the scene to darkness while the Allips continued their vicious assault. She almost certainly would have been killed had it not been for a young technomancer, presumed to be a student at the Arcanamirium, who used his own dancing lights to restore illumination to the scene. The defending audience members used the lighting to organize their counter-attack.

The battle continued for several minutes in almost total darkness. Two of the defenders from the audience were attacked in the fighting, and one sadly lost their life, becoming the second fatality. But fortunately, the Allips were eventually destroyed.

The identities of the defenders are being withheld for now out of concern for their safety and privacy. The Arcanamirium is re-evaluating their policy on weapons while the situation with the undead attacks remains unresolved. 

Emanon, the bard from Golarion, survived the attack and continues her recovery. She has postponed all future engagements, dealing a sad blow to the dreams of cultural enrichment for countless Pact Worlds citizens. She hopes to resume performing soon, but cannot commit to a tour schedule at present.

* * *

 

Dawn was still more than an hour away when Arden’s article went out for publication. He would have liked to admit his own involvement in the previous night’s events, but decided he needed to keep a low profile if he was going to keep Emanon’s location secret. He’d already contacted a number of publications directly and told them to keep his and his friends’ names out of any reports on the attack at the theater. There’d be time to tell the full story in the future, once Emanon was safe.

Since he’d finished writing, he decided he was ready to train in second order mystic spells. He’d gotten a short rest and felt confident that he’d be ready to cast again, if the need came up.

The Infosphere did indeed contain instructional materials on the subject, as the healer had suggested. They weren’t free, but for the value, he didn’t mind paying for them.  _ Karadite would probably know how to pirate them _ , Arden thought in amusement, but this wasn’t a case where he was going to quibble over a few credits. Their worth was more than sufficient to justify the expense.  _ Actually,  _ he reminded himself,  _ while I’m on the case, I can probably just expense it to Abadarcorp. _

He didn’t have a VR rig, which would have been ideal for training, so instead he cleared a space in the cabin he’d picked out for himself and loaded one up as a holographic projection.

A little over an hour had passed while Arden trained, when he heard a knock on his cabin door. It was still early, and he wondered who it could be. He’d tried to keep the volume on his training low enough not to wake anyone, but he didn’t know when any of the other people on board typically awoke, so it might just be that someone noticed he was awake and wanted a chat.

He opened the door a crack and saw Nevaz’s shoulder staring back at him. He tilted his head up enough to see the vesk’s face. He wasn’t happy, but he didn’t actually seem angry either. Arden supposed that, given the circumstances, this was a good sign. He and Thohuko hadn’t actually been invited after all.

“I’m glad to see you’re out of the hospital,” Arden said.

“Won’t you invite me in?” the vesk asked sarcastically. “Oh right,” he said without pausing. “It’s my ship.” He walked in without waiting for a reply.

“I hope you’re not angry,” Arden began. “But I-”

“No Arden, I’m not angry.” Nevaz said, cutting him off. “But it was a little rude of you, don’t you think? I would’ve given you leave to lodge here if you had asked, but you just assumed.”

“They said you weren’t taking visitors,” Arden said weakly. “But Emanon assured us you’d be ok with it.”

Nevaz sat down heavily on the bed and rubbed his eyes, very evidently exhausted after his long night. “I suppose I’d wanted to talk with you anyway, so it’s just as well that you came.” Nevaz held his gaze for a moment, appearing to consider his next words with care. “You saved my life,” he said at last. “I wish you could have saved Jian’s life too, but I understand you did as much as you could. And you probably saved her soul, if not her life. So I thank you.”

He was suffering from survivor’s guilt, Arden realized with pity. "I didn't get a chance earlier, but she sent me her last words telepathically. They were for you." 

"What were they?" he asked, a hint of fear in his expression.

"She said to tell you she was sorry, and that it wasn't your fault," Arden said, remembering her last moments.

Nevaz sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Thinking of others, even at the last," he said. "Thank you for telling me, Arden. It… means a lot."

“What will you do now, Nevaz?” Arden asked.

Nevaz took on a thoughtful expression. “Has Emanon told you that she thinks she needs to stay on the station?”

Arden nodded. “That’s why I’m here, actually.”

“To offer protection?” Nevaz asked, sounding interested. Arden nodded again. “Good,” Nevaz said approvingly.

“Will you stay too, and offer your own protection?” Arden asked.

“And what would  _ my _ protection be worth?” Nevaz asked bitterly. “Even when I manage to hit one of those infernal creatures, half the time they aren’t even affected.

“I could offer you something for that.”

Nevaz’s eyes narrowed. “Is that right? What, precisely, could you offer me, Arden?”

Arden met his gaze without flinching. “If you had a weapon crystal, your blade would never pass through an Allip without damaging it, isn’t that right?”

“I suppose that’s true,” Nevaz answered evenly. “But such items are rare, and expensive even if you can find them for sale. You could acquire one?”

“Leave those details to me,” Arden assured him. “But suffice to say that you agree you’d be a more effective protector if you had one.”

“Obviously. I suppose the same people who your ‘article’ was for are also in the weapons business?” Nevaz asked suspiciously.

Arden held his gaze. “Offer to protect Emanon, and let her stay on your ship for as long as it’s safe for her to do so, and you’ll have the equipment you need to hold your own in a fight against these creatures. Do I have your word?”

“At some point, Arden, you’re going to have to tell me who you truly work for,” Nevaz said with a resigned expression. “I need to go lay down in my own quarters. Get me that weapon crystal, and I’ll join this little protection force you’re assembling.”

Nevaz stood and walked out of Arden’s quarters without bothering to hear his reply.

Arden checked his wrist display. Somewhere above, he knew that the sun was probably rising over the crest of the station. The weapons would be shipping out shortly. He hoped he could get Nevaz’s weapon crystal added to the order in time to have it arrive with the other equipment. He took out his communicator and submitted the addendum.

*******

It was still early. The sun had just peeked over the rim of Absalom Station. Up in her suite overlooking the entertainment district, Karadite looked at the other android that used to be Jian. Fuzzy was curled up on her lap purring. “Have you decided on a name yet?” she asked.

The android shook her head. “How did you decide on yours?”

Karadite thought back. “I listened to sounds until I found a combination I liked enough to call them my own. But there are many ways to choose. What works for one may not work for another, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

The other android looked thoughtful, then nodded. “I will tell you when I have chosen.”

Karadite’s communicator beeped to indicate she had a message text. She picked it up from its place on the charging stand and began reading.

Come to the  _ Myriad _ when you wake up. Bring your things. You’ll need to move in. The cat is welcome too. Sorry about the downgrade in living situation, but I need for us both to stay near Emanon right now. Please procure five more pairs of ear buds and modify them the same way you did the first two.

So Arden was up early as well. Karadite hoped that didn’t mean he was trying to see how long he could function without sleep again. But she had her orders and saw no point in delaying. Karadite went to the closet and got her bag back out. The hotel room was nice, but she wasn’t sorry to be leaving it. As she’d told Arden, if things with the Starstone really got bad, she’d rather be on an ugly ship than inside a beautiful hotel room.

“Why are you putting your possessions into that bag?” the other android asked.

“We need to leave this place,” Karadite answered. “We’re going to meet up with my employer, along with, I suspect, a number of people who knew your body as Jian’chi.”

The other android accepted this without question.

Most of Karadite’s things were still in storage, so packing was a brief process. Last of all she converted Fuzzy’s carrying crate and placed her gently inside.

“Your cat is a most pleasant creature,” the android said. “I think I understand why you keep her with you.”

Karadite nodded. “Androids cannot have children, but it is natural to wish to care for another lifeform. Fuzzy is my friend as well as my pet. She brings me joy, and caring for her adds meaning to my life.”

The other android nodded, considering this statement. “Does helping me through the Renewal add meaning to your life too? Is that why you do it?”

Karadite considered this and decided that it did. “Yes,” she said.

The other android seemed satisfied by the answer and let the conversation end. She offered to carry one of Karadite’s bags, and then the two of them left the hotel suite together.

*******

The rest of the ship had awoken by the time Karadite and the other android arrived. Lili was the one to greet them when Karadite requested entry.

“Jian!” she gasped.

The other android shook her head, “No, that was this body’s former name.”

Lili smacked her forehead. “Right, sorry. It’s just so strange to see you here. But they did explain it to me. So you’re basically Jian’s body with a new soul.”

The other android nodded. “Yes.”

“Ah, where are my manners.” Lili made a quick inviting gesture with her hands and stepped out of their way. “Please come inside,” she said.

The two android women walked up the gangway and into the ship. “So what should we call you?” Lili asked the new android.

“Perhaps in time, you will call me friend,” she said. “But for right now, I have not yet decided on a name. Until I have, you may call me whatever you like.”

Lili thought for a moment. “Um, ok. How about ‘New Android’ then?” The other android shrugged in answer but didn’t object.

The two androids walked inside. “Where should I put my things?” Karadite asked.

“I’ll show you to the quarters we’ve set aside for you,” Lili said. “I hope you don’t mind sharing. There aren’t enough cabins for everyone to have their own.” Neither android appeared to mind.

Thohuko walked up as they made their way to the crew quarters. “Hello Karadite,” he greeted. “Introduce me to your new friend?”

To the other android, Karadite said, “This is Thohuko.”

“Hello Thohuko,” she said.

“Um, do you have a name yet?” he asked.

“No, but this one calls me ‘New Android’,” she told him, motioning toward Lili.

“Oh!” Lili said suddenly. “Did I forget to tell you my name? Sorry, I’m Lili.”

“It is okay,” the android said unbothered. “No doubt you made your introductions to Jian, and it is easy to forget that you haven’t introduced yourself to me. Good to meet you, Lili.”

The four of them arrived at the new quarters. “So, these used to be Jian’s quarters,” Lili explained. “Anything in here that you want to keep, you may. Nevaz has already taken the few mementos he wanted for himself.”

“Will I meet Nevaz?” the android asked curiously. “I understand he and my former self were close.”

Lili and Thohuko looked down uncomfortably. “He’s willing to let you stay here,” Thohuko said. “But he says he’s not ready to meet you yet.”

“I’m sorry,” Lili jumped in. “I wish he wasn’t being like this.”

Karadite frowned. “I had a similar experience when I first arrived,” she told the other android. “Hopefully Nevaz will come to his senses soon, but if not, remember that his approval or lack thereof has no bearing on your own value. Jian is gone, and you bear no guilt whatsoever for that fact.”

“Thank you, Karadite,” the other android said. “I’ll try to remember that.”

“You two,” Karadite said to Thohuko and Lili. “Please close the door when you leave. I want to give my cat some time to explore her new room, and if the door is open she’s liable to run and hide somewhere I won’t find her.”

“Sure,” Lili said, walking out with Thohuko.

“Fuzzy is the only creature I know whose capacity for stealth exceeds my own,” she told the other android. “If she gets out of this room it may be hours before I find her - and only when she finally decides she’s hungry enough to emerge.”

Karadite set the carrier down and let Fuzzy out. The two talked while the cat explored the unfamiliar environment.

“So what is it that you do?” the other android asked after a while.

“I guess you could say I get into places people generally aren’t allowed,” she answered.

“Sounds useful,” the other android said.

“It certainly is,” Karadite agreed.

“I think I’m going to need a skill too,” the other android said. “Do you think you could train me to ‘get into places people aren’t allowed’?”

Karadite considered the request.  _ It would be good to have a partner sometimes _ , she thought. There was a risk that an inexperienced companion could compromise an operation, but the benefits appeared to outweigh that risk. “Yes,” she said. “If that is your wish, then I will begin training you once you have discovered your name.”

The other android smiled. “Then you may call me Treskara,” she said.

“Treskara? You are sure?” Karadite asked.

“Tres, for trespass, which you will teach me to do without being caught, and ‘kara’, for you, because you were the first person I met, and you are kind to me.” Treskara smiled, very obviously pleased with herself.

“I am very glad to know you, Treskara,” Karadite said. “Let us begin.”

*******

Cheezy woke up full of energy, and eager to show off his surveillance expertise. Among his few remaining possessions were a half dozen micro-cameras with proximity sensors. These he planned to hook into a coordinated network, converting several of the ship’s display panels (ones that weren’t currently needed while they were parked), into a central monitoring station. The power and gravity went down twice while he was setting it up, which made the process slightly more challenging than it should have been, but within about 45 minutes he had a 360-degree view of the ship and an alert set to go off whenever anyone or anything approached.

As a reward for his efforts, he also happened to be the first to notice when an AbadarCorp delivery drone arrived.

“Guys! The guns are here!” he shouted. Everyone ran outside close behind him. Arden signed for the delivery, and the drone released the package into his custody before moving silently back to its dispatch station.

Cheezy extended eager paws as Arden handed him his new laser pistol. He stroked the bright red finish lovingly and fussed over the sleek barrel and ergonomic grip. “From this day forth,” he said to his new weapon, “you shall be known as Blazey.”

Arden coughed delicately. “Um, you’re going to need to pay for it if you want to keep it,” he reminded.

Cheezy’s grin fell for a moment. Then a new thought occurred to him. “Hang on,  _ we’re _ getting paid for this, aren’t we?” he asked.

“Well, you all volunteered, so, uh, no.” Arden looked uncomfortable at this line of conversation. Cheezy decided they’d need to revisit it. But for now, he had a new gun to try out, so life was still pretty good.

Back when they’d all made their selections, Emanon had asked whether modern weapons might grant her the ability to shoot lightning, so Arden had suggested a shock pistol. She looked at it in wonder as Arden handed it to her. It was midnight black with a bolt of yellow across the top, and surprisingly small. A steel and glass rod protruded from the end. “I suddenly feel like a mighty wizard!” she exclaimed in delight.

Thohuko had selected a plasma pistol. It was shiny, like chrome, and heavy. This also made it a little unwieldy, and it's range was pretty short, but on the other hand, it could do a truly incredible amount of damage to whatever it hit. And Cheezy figured his friend didn’t need a long range weapon anyway. If he needed to attack over a long distance, he could just do it with a spell.

Lili’s choice was a medium range weapon: a cryo pistol. It was small and dark blue, and used cartridges of super-cold liquid as ammunition. As for Nevaz, he got two items: a plasma crystal for his solarian blade, as well as a semi auto pistol that looked like a considerable upgrade over the little pistol he usually carried around.

Cheezy thought the whole lot of them look pretty bad-ass with the new gear.  _ Almost looking forward to our next fight _ , he thought.  _ Almost.  _

All the small arms included ghost killer fusion packs, and Arden showed them how to add each other as friends. Finally, Arden gave each of them a holy symbol that would prevent possession, and modified ear buds that Karadite had procured.

Emanon laughed. “This is the most dangerous group of people I’ve ever been around, and I’ve never felt safer!” She hugged Arden tightly. “Thank you so much, Arden!” The rest of them seconded her statement and thanked him as well.

“So how do I load the ammo?” Lili asked, examining the mechanism that accepted the cartridges. Arden looked at it for a moment. “Hang on, your weapons all came with instructions.”

Cheezy looked at the rest of the group in growing disappointment, as he quickly realized they were all nearly as clueless as Lili was. He clicked his tongue. “Geez guys, if you weren’t holding guns that you literally cannot shoot yourselves with accidentally, I’d be concerned for your safety.” He walked over to Lili and showed her how to open the stock to accept a fresh cartridge, and how to release it when she was ready to load a new one. Thohuko, Emanon, and Nevaz looked on with interest.

Arden took in the scene and evidently decided he was no longer needed. “So, uh, I’m just going to leave you all in Cheezy’s capable hands,” he told them.

“Yeah, yeah,” Cheezy said, waving him off. “Do whatever it is you do, Finder.” Arden headed back into the ship.  _ I’ll figure out your secret soon enough _ , Cheezy thought to himself.

*******

Arden retired to his cabin and picked up where he’d left off, going through the data Karadite had collected on Allip attacks. So far, he hadn’t managed to pick up a pattern. Attacks seemed as likely to happen up in The Eye as down in The Spike, and hardly any of the victims seemed connected. What did catch his interest was how easily most of the attacks were driven off.

The typical attack would involve one or two Allips. They’d attack one or two people, and then most of the time someone would shoot or cast a spell at them and they’d flee. Not always, and there certainly were fatalities, but the Allips seemed to have none of the fight in them that he’d seen in the ones he’d faced off against. Even when it looked like they could’ve beaten an opponent, it seemed that as soon as a weapon or a spell came at them, they ran scared. The only time  _ he’d _ seen an Allip run it had been outnumbered 5 to 1, was severely wounded, and was unfortunate enough to be facing opponents it couldn’t hypnotize.

Karadite had also suggested some research on Allips themselves, and he’d been reviewing it. Based on what was generally known, Allips only arose from the souls of suicide victims, but assuming, as seemed likely, that the modern-looking Allips they’d seen had come from souls who’d died in the Starstone attack, it made little sense for them to be tormenting the station in those forms.

He also couldn’t find references to Allips being able to possess other sentients, but these clearly had that ability. And perhaps most importantly, all the research agreed that Allips were insane. Fighting to the death seemed much more in line with what was known than their apparent preference for retreating at the first sign of challenge.

Arden looked over the spreadsheet he’d been working on. It listed all the known attacks along with bare facts about each one. There were 33 attacks in all, now updated to include the one from the lecture hall the night before. Most of them had video footage to go with them, though the Allips had a preference for attacking from shadows, making it difficult to see much of the attack itself.

Arden decided to look at attacks with the greatest numbers of Allips involved, in case he could find a pattern there. None of the other attacks was as large as the six that had attacked Emanon in the theater. There were a couple of attacks with four though. He read their descriptions.

In one, shortly after the Starstone attack, the victims were two men and a woman - an emergency medical tech plus a pair of station security officers on their way to assist the rescue effort. The attack had been on level 10, at one of the lift transfer stations. They’d fought back at first, but then two of them had been forced to run when the third became possessed and began attacking them. Arden found it odd that the Allips didn’t run from that fight, but they also didn’t bother pursuing the other two. According to the description, all four of them left the area after a few minutes, passed through a wall, and disappeared from surveillance. The one who had been possessed, a male security officer, needed medical attention, but there hadn’t been any serious injuries.

Arden decided to watch the footage for himself. The description of the attack was basically what happened. A few seconds after the Allips disappeared, a concerned bystander walked up to the man who’d been possessed and tried placing a call through his comm. To Arden’s mild surprise, it appeared that the call managed to connect. Most communicators that close to the EM pulse had had to be repaired, but Arden supposed he’d probably had it hardened, much like his own. Arden assumed he was calling emergency services by the look of it, then he left the frame. 

About a minute later, the other two people returned and waited with the still unconscious officer until help arrived, which took about 6 more minutes according to the timestamp on the recording. Arden fast-forwarded ahead some more, but nothing else of interest caught his attention.

He went back to the attack itself and watched it again. The Allips had seemed to literally come from nowhere, since they emerged from a shadow behind a trash bin. The trio had been understandably surprised. The female officer had the presence to fire her weapon first, the other two seeming more startled than she had been. Arden moved the footage back a few seconds to watch the shot again.

There it was. The projectile had knocked one of the Allips back a little. It had been hit! In nearly every other attack, that would have been the end of it. The Allips would have gone through a wall or a floor and vanished from the scene. These Allips were ready to put up a fight. But why?

Arden was interested now. He watched the recording more closely, trying to pull in every detail. There was the first attack by the Allips. It looked vicious. The medical tech staggered, but didn’t lose consciousness. He still had the presence to fire back with his own weapon. He missed, but only barely, shooting between two of the creatures. Then he ran backward a ways to get cover.

The Allips started chanting, which seemed to be their usual play early in any fight. It made sense, since they could usually take a out few opponents that way, tilting the odds pretty heavily in their favor. In this case, only the male security officer succumbed to the effect. Arden had to give the medical tech an extra bit of credit for resisting the hypnosis even after his will must have been weakened by their attack. At this point, he would’ve expected the hypnotized officer to be killed unless the other two could manage to save him, but instead, an Allip possessed him and used him to attack the other two.

The tech and the other officer had no choice but to either shoot their ally or run away. Arden wasn’t surprised they chose to run. He  _ was  _ surprised that the Allips left the scene a few minutes later. From everything he’d learned about the creatures, the poor security officer should have been killed at that point. He was completely at the Allips’ mercy, and to his knowledge, Allips had none.

Arden watched the bystander come back into the scene, first checking the unconscious man for a pulse, then making a call. Something about it made his instincts tingle. How could the bystander have gotten there so soon after the attack? Anyone in their right mind wouldn’t have gotten close enough to the Allips to reach the scene so soon after they’d departed.

Arden paused the footage on the man and enhanced. He was dressed in white overalls with a blue shirt. With a shock, he realized he’d seen that uniform before. It was what the maintenance techs who worked on the Starstone wore! Arden enhanced the frame, trying to get a clear view of the man’s face, but it never turned toward the camera. He could see that the hair was blond and shaggy. He’d seen all the photos of the Starstone maintenance crew and this man wasn’t on it.

He looked closer at the bangs. He wondered if there might be a pair of antennae hiding in that bushy hair. A wig, maybe? Arden knew that technomancers were often skilled at disguise. If this was Finisher, and his nondetection spell had worn off, he would’ve known that, and could have taken this additional counter-measure to avoid being spotted. But he hadn’t had time to change out of the uniform he’d acquired for the attack. So maybe the Allips weren’t there to attack, so much as to distract. If Finisher had been trying to escape the scene, he needed to go up the lifts at the same time the medical tech and security officers were going down. If they’d encountered him, they would’ve seen his uniform and immediately started asking him questions.

Arden tried to consider his theory from other angles. Was there an innocent explanation for the man’s appearance? Possibly, but he couldn’t think of one. After a little longer considering it, Arden was sure he’d found his target.

Unfortunately, only a few of the cameras in that area were still operable so shortly after the attack. He didn’t have a way to see where Finisher had come from, and he couldn’t see where he’d gone. He put in a warrant request to check footage from each lift station on that line, but after fast forwarding through hours of the material, he decided that Finisher must have changed his outfit again, and he couldn’t find him.

Still, his theory that Finisher and the Allip attacks were connected seemed to have been confirmed, and Arden was excited to go through the other incidents looking for his quarry.

He looked at the details of the other attack with four Allips. This one had been in the evening on the day after the attack, down on the 20th level of The Spike. There weren’t many cameras here to work with either, but not because of the attack so much as because there wasn’t much in the area worth surveilling. The footage that had already been connected to the attack showed a view of two men dressed like typical gang enforcers, being chased away from an old building. From the look of it, the building had probably been a waste processing facility at some point, but clearly wasn’t in use anymore.

Arden assumed the men managed to escape the Allips. They made it out of the frame of the video, and in less time than it would have taken them if they’d attacked, all four Allips went streaking back the other direction. Arden didn’t know if they’d simply given up the chase or the men had turned around and put up a fight. He was about to chalk it up as a normal attack that happened to have extra Allips involved, when a new figure appeared from the direction the Allips had gone.

They hadn’t chased  _ him  _ away clearly. Arden zoomed in on the man for a closer inspection. He was dressed all in black, and there was no mistaking him as a lashunta. Arden’s blood chilled. He couldn’t get a view of his face, but on the ground around his feet, his shadow seemed to swirl and writhe like a separate living entity, bearing little similarity to the movements the man made as he walked up to the building the men had just abandoned. His face was away from the camera, but Arden was sure there’d be a scar under his left eye.

Finisher walked to an undersized door and opened it. Arden thought he caught a flash of something when he did. Possibly a spell had been used, but he wasn’t sure. He’d review it again later. He fast-forwarded a few minutes and saw Finisher come back out. His face was mostly turned away from the camera still. Arden didn’t have enough of it to run facial recognition, but he’d have Karadite run a search for anyone matching his height, build, and coloration showing up near there around that time. He was confident they’d have his face soon.

Arden smiled.  _ We’ve got you _ .

*******

Down in his lab, Nevaz looked for new work to keep his mind occupied. If he stopped working, even for a moment, his thoughts inevitably turned to Jian, and he wasn't ready to face her loss yet. He would let himself grieve later, when it wasn't quite so painful. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything else to do at the moment.

He'd managed to narrow down the amount of mass that could have accounted for the gravity spike he'd observed in his data. To do it, he'd had to acquire a dozen other broken gravitational sensors, still with their final seconds of data stored in memory. The operators they'd belonged to were only too happy to let him take them off their hands.

In the end, by his calculations, the mystery mass came within 10% of the expected value, based on the best available research, of the combined masses of Golarion and its ancient moon Somal. Whether the slight discrepancy was a remaining error in his own data or an error in the calculations used to determine what the ancient bodies' masses must have been, was entirely unimportant. He was almost certain of his conclusion, and it terrified him.

The expected course of action at this point would be to send a report to the Seekers, but he'd been hesitating. This line of research could get dangerous quickly. What if a faction of the Seekers decided that, to bring back lost Golarion, the Starstone had to be destroyed? 

For one thing, Nevaz wasn't convinced such a conclusion would necessarily be wrong. But the consequences of attempting it would be dire for the inhabitants of Absalom Station.

It was strange to think that these past few years, he'd simply gone about gathering data, looking for interesting signals among the noise. Sure he was funded by the Seekers of Lost Golarion, but he'd never expected to actually  _ find _ the damned thing.

For at least the hundredth time, he considered the Starstone fragments that had brought him to Absalom in the first place. There had to be a new line of inquiry connected to the elf, but what it was, he wasn't sure.

Emanon had been happy to assist him earlier, moving to different locations while he measured the amount of light they generated. He'd managed to fit their luminance to a parabolic function, the effect decreasing with the square of her distance. It was interesting, certainly, but he could determine no mechanism to explain it, and he'd tried every instrument available in his lab to find one. If he wanted to explore the phenomenon any further, he'd need to use someone else's equipment, which meant revealing the secret to more people, and he wasn't prepared to do that yet.

His communicator beeped while he was still trying to decide what to do with himself. He glanced over and saw to his surprise that Molillitis was calling.

“Hello, Moley,” Nevaz said. He tried to make himself sound cheerful for his old friend, but couldn’t quite make it convincing.

Moley looked sympathetic. “I heard about Jian,” he said. “Will you be okay?”

“Still figuring that out,” Nevaz said heavily. “Where’ve you been, Moley?”

“I was on a mission for the Pact Council, and no, I can’t tell you anything else about it. I did finally get your message though. I hope your behavior hasn’t gotten you into any trouble.”

Nevaz paused at this odd comment, then remembered his message. “Oh right, I did make a bit of a threat there, didn’t I? Well, I really wanted you to contact me.”

“Yes, well, I wish the circumstances were better,” Mollilitis replied. “I would’ve called regardless, especially once I heard about Jian - they kept her name out of the news, by the way. I only realized she was the victim from the performance as I was reading through classified intel. Do you know why they’ve been keeping her a secret?”

Nevaz hadn’t known this, but he had an inkling. “I have a friend who seems to have far more influence than someone in his position ought to. The elf from the performance, she's staying aboard the  _ Myriad _ and several of us are protecting her. I suspect he’s trying to keep her location a secret.”

“Well, that’s good of you,” Moley said approvingly. “But I’m afraid I’ve got another job I need you to do.”

“Oh?” Nevaz asked in surprise. “I thought you were just returning my message.”

“Well I am, but there’s more than that. I need you to take me off speaker before I say anything further, and I trust your communicator is encrypting this call.”

Nevaz deactivated his display and switched the call to his ear buds - not the ones Karadite had given him, but his personal ones. “Alright Moley, spit it out.”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed the blackouts have been getting more frequent,” Moley began. Nevaz grunted his agreement. “Well, the team working on the problem is concerned that the Starstone has gone into a degenerative state, and will soon cease to power the station altogether.”

“What?” Nevaz started. “Why hasn’t this been broadcast all over the station? Why aren’t you evacuating everyone right now?”

“We can’t,” he answered helplessly. “There’s over 2 million residents on Absalom Station. Using every available ship in the Pact, and running every working dock at maximum capacity, getting everyone off would take over a month. We’ve run the simulations.”

Nevaz’s pulse raced. Over 2 million residents were doomed, and they didn’t even know it. “How long do they have?” he asked.

“Days, maybe. Not more than a week, certainly. They think the Starstone failures will continue to get worse until it simply fails to re-energize at all. The station has its own emergency power supplies we’ve been tapping into to try to keep the outages more localized, but within hours of the Starstone going offline, entire decks will begin dropping below survivable temperatures until the whole station is just a dead relic floating in space.”

Nevaz staggered and sat down on the floor. He could barely comprehend what he was hearing. Molillitis broke in again as the silence between them grew uncomfortable. "I know it's a lot to take in."

This brought Nevaz back to the present. "You don't say!" he shot back. "But why are you telling me? You're not just warning an old friend, are you? You said something about a job, I believe."

"I would've thought it would be obvious," Moley answered. "I want you on the team trying to fix the Starstone."

Nevaz wasn't entirely sure he'd heard him correctly. "Did you just say you want me, a vesk, on the repair team?" Even hearing it from his own mouth sounded ridiculous.

"They're not making progress quickly enough, and you've been studying the Starstone non-stop since you arrived. They need a fresh pair of eyes looking over their scan data. The excavation team will break through to the Starstone chamber tomorrow. Whatever we do, we may only have one shot."

Nevaz was finally being given a chance to reach the Starstone, and not just permitted but invited. He thought about his shards again. If they truly were from the Starstone, or even if they were just extremely similar, studying them directly could be invaluable in any effort to repair it, possibly even essential.  _ What good is a keeping a secret for the sake of peace if it leads to the deaths of millions _ ? Nevaz mused. Yes, his contribution might be helpful. And if so, then he had an obligation to try.

“Alright,” Nevaz said. “Tell me where to go.”

*******

Another power failure convinced Cheezy that something had to be done. Docking clamps would prevent the  _ Myriad _ from floating around the hangar, but any time gravity went down, people and possessions inside the ship would become loose, not to mention whatever Cheezy had last eaten. He’d only actually thrown up once, but throwing up once in microgravity was more than enough to last anyone’s lifetime.

He headed for the ship’s navigation computer and brought up a scripting interface. The situation they were in could be fixed, Cheezy reasoned, if the ship’s own artificial gravity could be activated any time the station’s went down. But he quickly discovered that the gravitational sensor on the  _ Myriad _ was offline, so he couldn’t just hook the input of one to the output of the other. He took a look at the diagnostic on the gravitational sensor to see if it was something he could repair himself.

_ Oh, isn’t that interesting _ , Cheezy thought. The sensor board itself had been physically removed from the device. So repair wasn’t on the table.  _ Ok, how about a low-tech option _ ? he thought to himself.

It took about an hour to set up, but eventually Cheezy had a crude solution. After a bit of fiddling with the ship’s materials printer, he hooked up a set of three precisely-aligned springs with 4 kilogram weights hanging off the ends of them. These he placed at 15 degree angles off the vertical over thin white sheets of plastic marked with millimeter lines, forming a sort of pyramid. Finally he set mirrors around it, so that a camera could view all three at once. Using the camera as input, he wrote a script that would bring up the ship’s artificial grav whenever the springs contracted, in an effort to keep them all as close to normal gravity as possible, and oriented in a consistent direction.  _ No more tilting, lightening, or floating _ , he told himself proudly. So long as they stayed on the ship, the gravity situation wasn’t going to bother them, and neither would his lunch.

He left the pyramid-spring-camera apparatus glued to the floor of the engineering room with a hand-written sign saying, “DO NOT TOUCH.” So long as people left it alone it should be fine. But if someone kicked it by accident, life on the ship could get really interesting, really fast. He only briefly considered placing a booby trap around the makeshift device, to prevent tampering, but quickly decided that could lead to more trouble than it was worth.

On his way back to the living compartments, he heard someone’s voice. "You don't think that's unwise?" Cheezy recognized Karadite as the speaker. He was just outside Arden's cabin, and the door had been left open a crack.

A new voice began speaking. "It's our only lead so far, and you weren't able to get a clear view of his face."  _ So Arden and Karadite are arguing about something _ , Cheezy thought. "Get your gear ready, we'll leave in 5," Arden was saying. Cheezy quickly ducked back inside the stairwell to engineering as Karadite emerged, heading toward her own cabin.

_ What are you up to, Finder _ ? Cheezy wondered inwardly. He made a quick decision and dashed back to his own cabin. His usual line of work occasionally called for following people without their knowledge. He found a tracker in his bag, then headed back to the ship's exit and examined the little nook where everyone’s shoes were currently kept. He couldn’t determine which were Karadite’s, but it only took him a moment to guess which ones belonged to Arden. Smell alone would've sufficed, but no one else on the ship would've tried to get away with those brown loafers unironically.

Cheezy turned over one of the shoes and put the tiny tracker in the little hollow space in front of the heel, to ensure it wouldn't be stepped on while he walked. He tested to make sure it was secure, then activated it. Once he was satisfied with his work, Cheezy hurried back to his cabin, getting inside just before Karadite walked back from her own, now armed and carrying a small pack of some sort. He wondered what sort of equipment she'd decided she needed for whatever it was they were planning. He hoped she didn’t have anything that would interfere with his tracker. Or worse, pick up on it.

He activated a program on his communicator to show him which way the tracker went, then tested the audio reception on the tracker’s embedded mic. It felt a little weird to be eavesdropping on Karadite and Arden through the very ear buds they’d provided him, but he wasn’t going to let a little awkwardness stop him.

Cheezy heard the sounds of Arden putting on the shoe, and soon the tracker’s position began moving. Cheezy waited until they were out of the hangar before he lowered the ship’s gangway. He climbed up on Dott and put her in stealth mode, then followed after the pair of them, silent as any wraith.

Cheezy allowed himself a brief satisfied smile as he headed in the direction they’d gone.  _ Time to find out what you actually do, Arden _ .

*******


	14. Caught

Arden and Karadite had gotten within sight of the abandoned waste reprocessing facility by taking side avenues that Karadite had insisted on, both to draw less stares and to make it more obvious if they were being followed. But several minutes earlier she’d told Arden to wait where he was while she went on ahead to do some scouting. So he sat against a wall, trying to look inconspicuous, and he waited.

An incoming transmission made his ear bud vibrate gently. He answered it without speaking. “Come to the front gate,” Karadite told him. “You won’t have any trouble.”

_ Well that’s a relief _ , he thought. As he rounded onto the street leading to the main gate, he paused at the sight of a man’s limp body. Karadite was dragging him into a shaded area near some scaffolding. “What happened?” he asked.

“Trouble. I took care of it.”

“Is he dead?” Arden asked, not sure what to do if she said yes.

“He’ll live,” she said.

“Ok, that’s good anyway,” Arden said.

“Probably,” she amended, seeming to consider his wounds more carefully. Arden winced but didn't say anything.  _ Just get this over with _ , he told himself.

The gate was shut, but Karadite didn’t have any difficulty disconnecting the access panel and hot-wiring it open. “I thought you were going to hack it,” Arden said, almost disappointed.

“What do you think hacking is, Arden?” she asked, evenly. “I found a flaw and I exploited it. In this case, the panel itself. Could I have tricked the panel’s systems into thinking I was authorized? Probably. But did you want to spend the next hour waiting here while I tried?”

“I guess it would’ve been nice not to leave evidence we were here,” Arden said weakly. Karadite pointed back in the direction of the unconscious,  _ probably  _ not-dying man. Arden took her meaning and stopped talking.

They reached the building they’d seen Finisher enter from the video. They knew to expect a couple of guards, so Karadite took point while Arden covered her. They found the pair sitting together near the door. Karadite snuck up on them with her weapon drawn. Worried she was about to shoot, Arden yelled out, “don’t move or you’re dead!”

The two men froze and slowly raised their hands. “No sudden movements,” Karadite warned. “Turn around slowly and unhook your weapons. We’ve got both of you in our sights.”

“Yeah, sure,” one of the men said as they turned. “Only, don’t shoot, okay?”

“Kick your weapons to me,” Arden said. “Then get out of here.”

“No!” Karadite objected. “We should at least tie them up! We go in there while they’re still free and there’ll be a dozen of them waiting when we come back out.”

“You’re right,” Arden agreed, mentally kicking himself for the rookie mistake. This was definitely Karadite’s scene and not his. “You have something to tie them up with?” he asked.

“I’ve got some strong wire that should work,” she answered.

Arden looked at the two men, still holding his pistol ready. “You two kick your weapons over to me, then sit back in your chairs,” Arden said, amending his previous order. The two kicked their weapons over as instructed, then began walking toward the chairs. Karadite kept her weapon trained on them with one hand while she felt in her bag for the spool of wire with her other. The men made no move to stop her from binding them.

Once they were both tied up, she checked the entrance for traps. “Anything?” Arden asked, pointing at the narrow door.

“Not that I can find, but it’s locked.”

“Can you unlock it?” he asked, hopefully.

“Probably, but it’s going to take a while,” she replied, making a disappointed sound. “I’ll get my tools.”

“How about one of you?” Arden asked the bound guards. “It can’t be comfortable being tied up like that. You want to tell us how to unlock the door so we can be done here faster?” Arden didn’t expect anything to come of this, but he was better at diplomacy than lock-picking.

To his surprise, one of the guards nodded. “Yeah, sure. That’s fair. I’ve got a badge tucked into my front shirt pocket. Use that.”

“Seriously?” Karadite asked. “You’re just going to help us get in?” Arden could tell she was suspicious.

“Well, it’s like he says,” the man replied, nodding toward Arden. “You’re clearly going to get in no matter what I do, and you’ll be done faster if you don’t have to fiddle with the lock mechanism.”

She shrugged. “Okay Arden, I guess we won’t have to pick the lock after all.” She reached into the man’s pocket and pulled out a small worn badge.

Arden hadn’t expected it to work either. It was odd how the man seemed so unbothered by them getting into whatever it was they’d been guarding.  _ Probably hates his job _ , Arden figured.

They touched the badge to the little access panel and the door opened easily. Karadite entered first, weapon drawn, cautiously taking in the entire scene. “Clear,” she whispered. Arden followed her inside. They were standing on some sort of conveyor belt between steeply-sloped metal sides. At the opposite end of the building was a pair of large stacked cylinders with metal ridges on them. Arden assumed it was for breaking apart recyclables ahead of further refinement.

They looked around. Arden wanted to know whether anyone else was present. He stilled his mind and began reaching out, attempting to detect the emotions and surface thoughts of any other minds nearby. After just a few seconds, he jerked up in alarm. “We’re not safe,” he told Karadite, and began running toward the door. She followed at his heels without questioning.

As he’d been reaching out, he’d discovered that there’d been a third guard nearby that neither of them had noticed, one who’d been all too happy to see the two of them walk inside. Arden suspected the first guard’s willingness to help them get in was just so they didn’t stay outside long enough to notice their partner.

But the most important thing Arden had learned was that the entire building was a giant trap, and it was about to be sprung.

A huge grate came slamming down in front of their exit before they reached it. At the same moment, the conveyor belt made a terrible grinding noise as it lurched to life. Karadite pulled out her sonic pistol and fired at the grate. A piece of it went flying off, but the rest of the barrier was unaffected and they still couldn’t get out. Hot lights came on above them, suddenly raising the temperature as though they were inside an oven. Arden tried to climb up the sloped sides, but his hands were sweaty and he couldn’t get any kind of purchase. Karadite was closer to the door and tried grabbing the grate, but sparks leapt off it and she yanked her hand away in sudden pain.

Arden tried his best to keep running against the conveyor belt, but the combination of the heat and the speed quickly became too much for him. Karadite managed a little longer before she too found herself heading toward the grinding teeth of the huge cylinders at the other end.

“Karadite!” Arden yelled. “Can you jump over the cylinders? Maybe there’s a kill switch on the other side!”

Karadite looked at the spinning rotors and tried to figure out her chances. “I don’t know, Arden,” she yelled back. “They look too high.”

A sudden lightheadedness made Arden realize he was about to pass out. He tried to see the bright side in it. Maybe it would spare him the pain of being ground up and broken on the mechanical maw at the other end. His steps slowed. “Save yourself… if you can,” he said in a fading voice. “I’m sorry,” he just managed to whisper before he fell down unconscious.

“Arden! No!” Karadite yelled. She tried picking him up, but the heat had grown so intense that even her own android limbs were having trouble functioning. They had almost reached the end of the conveyor belt, and she didn’t have the strength anymore to even attempt jumping over it. She shut her eyes and hoped it would be over quickly.

When the end didn’t come, she opened her eyes again, confused. The belt had stopped moving, and the cylinders had gone still. Arden’s feet were just touching the deadly grinding teeth. Above them, the heat lamps were dark again. “Wake up, Arden!” she said, lifting and dragging him as fast as she could. “I think a power outage just saved our lives, but we have to figure out our escape before it comes back on.”

Arden was dizzy and had trouble returning to full consciousness, but he tried to get his feet back under him. “I don’t understand,” he said groggily. “Why’m I not dead?”

They reached the grate. “If the power’s out, I should be able to climb up to that ledge,” she said, pointing at the overhang it had unspooled out of. She reached out warily to grab it, when it suddenly sped back inside its housing, unblocking their way. “How?” she began.

The door opened. Cheezy stood there grinning. “You should really be sure you’ve disabled  _ all _ the guards before you walk into their trapped lairs,” he observed. But then his expression became serious. “The guy who turned on this death trap won’t be bothering anyone else again, but he called a bunch of his friends before he checked out. We gotta go!”

Arden’s mouth finally caught up to his other senses. “Cheezy?” he said.

“Observant as ever, Arden,” the ysoki replied. “Now move!”

Arden was still dazed by the ordeal, but Karadite wasted no time and threw him over her shoulder. Cheezy led the way back to the main gate riding Dott. They’d gotten back aboard the lifts by the time Arden finally asked Cheezy how he’d found them.

“I’ll answer that question, but I want you to answer one of mine in return,” Cheezy said. “Seeing as I just saved your lives, I feel I’m owed that much anyway.”

Arden wasn’t going to agree without knowing the question. “Tell me how you found us and I’ll consider it,” he said instead.

Cheezy tilted his head and nodded. Then he pointed down at Arden’s feet. “There’s a bug on your left shoe.”

Arden looked down then stopped himself, picking up the double-meaning. “When did you put it there?” he asked.

“About five minutes before you left the ship,” Cheezy answered. “Now it’s your turn. Why were you down there?”

Karadite arched an eyebrow. Arden knew she’d never betray his secret, but she was clearly curious to see if he’d do it himself. Arden hesitated. Cheezy noticed. “Hey,” the ysoki demanded. “Saved your life, answered your question, and am apparently working for you for free. Whatever you’re mixed up in nearly got you killed, and I’m guessing I’m involved in it too. Now dish.”

Arden gave up. The ysoki had him dead to rights on every count. “Fine,” Arden sighed. “I’m hunting the mastermind behind the Starstone attack. I had a lead on him. He’s been to that facility and we wanted to see if we could figure out what he was doing.”

“And this is for what, an  _ article _ ?” Cheezy asked. “Your  _ editor  _ bought Blazey? You’re off to a good start, but a little more truth seems in order.”

“No, I’m not doing this for an article,” Arden answered reluctantly. “Though if they catch the guy, you can bet I’ll write one. I  _ am _ a journalist, but I also work for powerful people on a freelance basis. And right now, that means I’m part of the investigation into the attack, albeit unofficially. No one’s supposed to know.”

Cheezy nodded. “Ok, I assume you’re not going to tell me who these powerful people are, but I’d say that’s enough honesty for now. Can I also assume that these people would agree to pay me a fair salary for my services guarding the elf, if you were to lobby on my behalf?”

Arden threw up his hands. “I don’t know. Probably.”

Cheezy nodded. “Ok, good. Normally I wouldn’t ask, but I lost everything when my ship crashed and I need the credits. And I don’t know if you’ve talked to the others, but I’m not the only one who’s a little hard up right now, financially-speaking.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Arden promised.

“And I’m not keeping your secret for you, Arden.”

“But Cheezy!” Arden exclaimed.

“But what?” Cheezy shot back. “The others on the ship all work for you, volunteers or not. They deserve to know that on top of whatever danger Emanon was already in,  _ you _ are going around pissing off some seriously dangerous people, looking for the guy who attacked the Starstone. You’re creating a, whats-it-called, an ‘unsafe working environment.’”

Karadite looked at Arden. “They deserve to know,” she said.

Arden’s jaw dropped. “You too?”

Karadite nodded. “You pay me not to divulge your secrets, but this is one I don’t think you should keep. I believe they are all trustworthy.”

Arden slumped, defeated. He’d always prided himself on his ability to keep a secret, but this one had grown out of hand. “Okay,” he said, giving in. Cheezy and Karadite shared a quick grin with each other.  _ I did not see  _ those  _ two becoming friends _ , Arden thought to himself wryly.

*******

Cheezy led the way into the ship when they returned. "Great news, guys!" he yelled. "We're gettin' paid!"

Lili was the first to react. She came running out to the entry area. "Paid? How?" she asked, confusion and excitement at war in her expression.

Cheezy looked up at Arden. "You gonna fill her in, or shall I?"

Arden didn't answer him, but began addressing Lili and the others who'd appeared just behind her. "My employers, the ones who provided you with your new armaments, have agreed to compensate you for protecting Emanon."

"What about me?" Emanon asked. "Do I get anything, or am I just grateful for the protection?" She looked around awkwardly. "I mean, I  _ am _ grateful for you guys," she added. 

"You'll be getting a stipend as well," Arden confirmed.

"How much?" Thohuko asked, curiously.

"25 credits a day," Cheezy announced proudly. "First week payable immediately." He winked and flashed his communicator. "Already got mine."

"Is that a lot?" Emanon asked, unsure how to react.

"It is quite adequate," Karadite assured her. The others variously nodded or rocked their hands, depending on how adequate it seemed to them.

"I don't understand though, Arden," Thohuko said. "Where is all this funding coming from?"

"I'm not just a reporter," he began. A number of exaggerated expressions of non surprise greeted this claim. "Yes, well, it may have been obvious, but it was still a secret. And I still can't tell you  _ who _ I work for. But I  _ can _ tell you what I've been doing." He cast an annoyed glance at Cheezy, "mainly because if I don't, Cheezy's going to tell you anyway."

Thohuko cast an incredulous expression at his short friend. "Cheezy, how are  _ you  _ involved in all this?"

"Meh, just saved their lives," he said casually, exuding all kinds of false modesty.

Arden rubbed his forehead. He felt like he had a headache coming on, but he wasn't done talking. "He did, and we’re grateful. But here’s the short version - I'm on the investigation into the Starstone attack. And that investigation has forced me to face a number of Allip attacks. As we've already determined, Emanon seems to be their favorite target. Protecting her, as you've agreed to do, has freed me to continue my own work. That's why Cheezy was able to convince me to see about getting you compensation, which my employers have now agreed to provide."

Cheezy became the instant focus of gratitude by the other three. Arden looked around, wondering where the others were. "Hey, where's Nevaz anyway? I assumed he was down in his lab, but I would've expected the commotion to bring him around."

"He's gone," Emanon informed him. "I think he left a little after you did. He said he was joining the Starstone repair team." Lili and Thohuko nodded.

"Oh!" Arden exclaimed. "Well how about the new android?"

"Her name is Treskara now," Karadite informed him. "I assume she's at the monitoring station that Cheezy constructed. She's not yet trained in combat, so I placed her there to keep watch. I've made it part of her training. She won't leave her place unless there's a threat or until I relieve her."

"Oh, okay." Arden didn't realize she'd had a name or that Karadite was training her, but decided both developments were welcome ones. "I guess I should see about requesting funds for her as well then."

"I'll compensate her myself," Karadite told him. "She works directly for me now, not you."

"Oh," Arden said, not expecting the objection.

"You can increase my pay instead, since you're procuring her services through me," she finished.

"Ah," Arden said. This was more in line with his expectations.

“So, what have you learned about the attackers?” Thohuko asked. The others turned curious glances in Arden and Karadite’s direction.

Arden hesitated again. They didn’t really need this information in order to protect Emanon, he reminded himself. On the other hand, they were already in on the fact that he was investigating. He was still deciding what to share when Karadite spoke up. “We’ve gathered intelligence that the mastermind behind the attack was a lashunta technomancer who goes by the call sign of ‘Finisher.’” Arden stared at her in surprise. Karadite met his shocked gaze with perfect equanimity. “What? You had already agreed to share this information, and I became impatient.”

Arden cursed his indecisiveness. “You’re right,” he said, sighing. “What else should we tell them?”

Emanon piped up next. “Do you know anything about what he looks like or why he attacked the Starstone?”

Arden nodded. “We have a physical description. But his motives are a mystery. He tricked some people into working for him on the pretense that they were instigating a war between the Veskarium and the Pact, but we know that was a lie. As for what he looks like, he’s supposed to be fairly tall, prefers to wear black (but that could just be what he wore around our witness), and he has a scar under his left eye.”

“Do you have a picture?” Lili asked.

Karadite nodded. “We do, but we weren’t able to capture his face, so a facial recognition search hasn’t been available to us.”

A sudden spike of fear from Thohuko caused Arden to glance over. The lashunta had gone very pale in the last few seconds. Arden wasn’t sure what it meant. “Thohuko, is there something you want to tell us?”

Thohuko opened and closed his mouth a few times, then slowly took out his communicator. “I think you need to see something,” he finally managed, his voice shaking. He brought up his recent holo pics and showed one he’d taken a couple of days earlier. There, floating in front of them and smiling jovially, was a lashunta, slightly taller than Thohuko, with a faint red line starting just beneath his left eye.

The hairs on Arden’s neck stood on end. “Where?” he managed to ask in a hushed tone, as if speaking too loudly would make the image vanish.

“At the Arcanamirium,” Thohuko replied. “He works on the Starstone repair team. He’s a technomancer - a strong one - and he’s, uh, really smart. He’s brilliant. I mean, he’s revolutionized entire fields.”

“What’s his name?” Arden asked. He realized he’d been holding his breath the entire time Thohuko had been speaking.

“Zhifae Uluas,” Thohuko said. A sudden thought seemed to occur to him. “In Lashuntan, it literally means, ‘Last One.’”

A rush of adrenaline surged through Arden’s veins.  _ We found him _ !

Cheezy looked around, seeming pleased. “There now. Aren’t you glad you shared?”

*******

Once they had a name and a face, running the searches was easy. Arden and Karadite quickly compiled the evidence needed to prove that Zhifae truly was Finisher. They found three short encounters with Veznok, and even one fleeting encounter with Councilor Nanh, from a camera far enough away that she hadn’t arranged to have it deactivated while she was in its view. Most damning though, they were able to connect his location with most of the Allip attacks. In barely more than an hour after learning his identity, they had a complete dossier to send to the investigation.

Arden sent a secure communique to Jeri first, then passed the entire dossier to the official team working out of the security headquarters. A plan to arrest Zhifae was set into motion almost immediately. Lastly, Arden sent a cryptic message to Nevaz, telling him to get somewhere private and call him right away.

“Arden, what’s this about?” Nevaz asked a few minutes later. Arden thought he sounded frazzled.

“Is Zhifae with the rest of the repair team right now?” Arden asked in reply.

Nevaz sounded annoyed by the question. “I’ve only just met everyone. Let me think. Is he the taller of the 3 lashunta?”

“Yes,” Arden confirmed. “Is he with them?”

“He is. Now if you don’t mind, I should be there too. We’re manufacturing a device to bind the Starstone right now. My shards-”

“Never mind that,” Arden said, cutting him off. “Zhifae is not who you think he is. He’s the one who put together the attack on the Starstone in the first place. He’s about to be arrested.” There were several seconds of silence on the other end.

“What do you need from me?” Nevaz asked, suddenly sounding very calm.

“Tell me you’ve got your new weapons with you?” Arden said.

“I do.”

“Zhifae has the ability to control the Allips and call them to him,” Arden said. “But we’ve studied every instance the Allips have appeared on the station, and we’ve discovered that they can’t reach him through a force shield. According to Thohuko, the labs all have shields that can be activated in an emergency. As soon as the security team is in position, they’re going to activate the one in your lab, so that the Allips won’t be able to help when they move to arrest him. Problem is, Zhifae is a powerful technomancer. There’s a chance he’ll be aware that the security forces are coming before they’re in position. We need you to go back into the room with him, and if he makes any move to leave, stop him.”

“With force, if necessary?” Nevaz asked, already knowing the answer.

“I’m afraid so,” Arden confirmed. “You’re probably the only one in there with a decent shot at doing it. Hopefully Zhifae won’t even realize they’re coming and you won’t have to do anything, but we have to be sure he can’t escape if he does. They’re already on the way. I’m monitoring their progress right now. They’ll be there in 15 minutes.”

“Got it,” Nevaz replied.

“One more thing,” Arden added. “Our evidence that Allips can’t pass through a force shield isn’t 100% certain. If any Allips do get through, you can’t let them reach Zhifae. You’ll have to try to take him out yourself. The security forces simply aren’t equipped to arrest him  _ and _ fight his horde of Allips.”

“You want me to be your soldier, is that it?” Nevaz asked. He didn’t sound angry, just curious.

“I’ve seen you in a fight,” Arden answered. “I know you can handle this.”

“One question,” Nevaz added. “You said he can control the Allips. Does that mean he was responsible for the attack last night?” Nevaz didn’t have to add “that killed Jian”. Arden heard it loud and clear.

“We think so, yes,” Arden said simply.

“Understood,” Nevaz replied. “If it comes to it, shooting him won’t be an issue.”

*******

Nevaz ended the call with Arden and considered his next course of action. The lashunta would be a formidable opponent in a straight up fight, even without any Allips to support him. He thought back to his training on Triaxus. As a Solarian, he could attune himself to either photonic or gravity-based power as needed, so long as he had time to prepare. His last few fights hadn’t afforded him that luxury, but this time was different. He wouldn’t waste the opportunity.

For pure damage, photonic was probably the superior style, but he could hardly avoid attracting attention if he returned to the lab glowing faintly, and the hope was that Zhifae would never even know the trap was closing until it was too late.  _ Gravity it is then _ , Nevaz decided.

He took a moment to clear his mind, then concentrated on the feeling of weight around him, aligning his energy with the universal force of gravity. He felt himself sinking deeper into the fabric of spacetime and held the sensation tightly, ready to wield it at his command.

Nevaz opened his eyes. He felt heavy, but strong. He allowed himself a satisfied grunt as he examined his own aura. A gun was nice in a pinch, but he was pleased to have better options. He supposed he’d been away from the lab long enough. He didn’t want to be missed, or worse, for Zhifae to leave without anyone trying to stop him.

He returned to the lab, trying to keep his footsteps as close to normal as possible under the extra weight he now carried. The other researchers, fortunately, were all much too interested in the project at hand to pay him more than the briefest of glances. They had been quite eager to make use of Nevaz’s shards. He’d been forthright about how he’d discovered them, and while some no doubt suspected foul play at work on the part of the Veskarium, they were far more interested in the practical applications to be overly concerned about any political dimensions.

The theory they were now working on was that, although the Starstone presented a physical and chemical structure that were, so far as they knew, unique, it was still at its essence a giant crystal. And the quickest way to repair any crystal was to dissolve and re-grow it.

Now, dissolving the Starstone itself was impossible for a number of reasons, but if they could dissolve Nevaz’s shards and pour a high-temperature solution over the two fragments of the Starstone, keeping them bound together physically, the hope was that a little of each fragment would dissolve just a bit and the entire form would re-crystallize as the temperature dropped.

Understandably, Nevaz was eager to remain at the center of this effort, as he had spent the most time with the shards, studying them in his lab to the extent that he could. But at the moment he could barely feign interest for the sake of appearances. One of the androids had repeated his name twice by the time he realized he was being addressed.

“Dr Nevaz? Dr Nevaz, did you hear the question?” It was Vex speaking. His full name was actually 11101VX, and he was so old he pre-dated The Gap. He also suspected, but could not prove, that he was the original inhabitant of his body.

“Um, sorry, I think I missed it,” Nevaz answered awkwardly.

“I was asking if you had a suggestion for a solvent,” Vex repeated. “Perhaps your research might assist us here.”

Nevaz forced himself to focus. Not only for appearances, but also because this was an important topic. “I know the structure contains very little water, so a water-based solvent probably won’t do any good. I think it might break apart for an organic solvent, perhaps a hydrogen donor solvent of some kind with a benzene ring. You’d want something that would remain a liquid above 240 C though, so your options would be limited there. That  _ is  _ still the temperature range we were aiming for to support super-cooling at a sufficiently rapid rate, correct?”

“We think we could go as low as 220 if we spread the solution all around the fracture simultaneously,” Vex informed him.

One of the other researchers, a male human whose name Nevaz couldn’t remember, was following the conversation with interest. “Do you think tetralin might work?” he asked. “Put it in a sealed vessel at 2 atmospheres, and you should be able to keep it hot enough without boiling away, but there’s still the question of whether it would actually dissolve one of the shards.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Nevaz continued tracking Zhifae. The lashunta had turned away from this particular conversation and appeared to be inspecting workmanship of the binding device itself. Nevaz didn’t like how close he happened to be to the lab’s exit. Once again, he made an effort to re-engage with the current conversation. “I’ve never made the attempt, but tetralin does sound like what I had in mind.”

“I’ll produce some in the fabricators,” the human said, seeming eager to try out his idea.

Meanwhile, Zhifae had suddenly begun looking around, as if trying to find the source of some unexpected noise. Nevaz had a sinking suspicion the other man’s senses had just been alerted to something, and he had one very unpleasant guess as to what it could be. Nevaz excused himself from the others while they prepared to dissolve one of his shards and moved to stand between Zhifae and the exit without being too obvious about it.

Zhifae was making his own way to the exit. He looked casual, but his movement clearly had purpose driving it. Nevaz walked over to him before he could reach the door, donning the most convincing smile he could come up with. Being a good 50 centimeters taller and 50 kilograms heavier than his quarry was helpful in making sure the other man wouldn’t easily slip past him.

“Excuse me, Dr Nevaz,” Zhifae said politely. “I need to get by you.”

“Not interesting enough?” Nevaz asked, trying to keep the other man talking as long as possible.

“Oh, just the opposite! But I do need to use the restroom, so, again, excuse me.”

“You don’t want to go yet,” Nevaz said smiling. “We’re going to try a new solvent on one of the shards!”

Zhifae looked desperate now. The polite smile vanished. “I’ll see it later,” he said, making to push past Nevaz physically.

Nevaz gave up the charming act and moved to block the exit with his own massive body. “I’m afraid you’ll need to stay a little longer,” he said, bearing a smile that showed all his teeth.

Zhifae’s face became a snarl. Nevaz felt his mind get fuzzy, and briefly lost track of the situation. When he came back to himself, Zhifae was already outside the lab and moving quickly down the hall.

“Get back here!” Nevaz yelled, calling forth a surge of gravity that yanked the lashunta bodily back into the room. Zhifae was momentarily stunned. All around the lab, the researchers stopped what they were doing and looked up in shock.

“What the hell is going on?” one of the other lashunta, a female, was saying. A general chorus of indignant demands for answers followed hers.

Instead of answering, Nevaz used the opportunity of Zhifae’s disorientation to call forth his blade. He attached his new focus crystal and the blade began to radiate intense heat. Shouts of alarm rang out at this, but Nevaz ignored them, jumping to where Zhifae was just beginning to get his feet back under him. “You’re not leaving this room, until I say so,  _ Finisher _ ,” Nevaz growled.

The sound of his pseudonym seemed to startle Zhifae as much as the gravity surge had, or perhaps it was the sight of the blade. “Help!” Zhifae yelled to the room at large. “He’s gone mad!” The panic in his voice seemed entirely genuine.

Nevaz grinned, then suddenly couldn’t stop grinning, or move from his current pose in any way. “I’ve got him,” one of the researchers yelled, the same lashunta woman who’d spoken before.

With all eyes on the suddenly frozen Nevaz, the others didn’t even realize Zhifae had turned invisible.  _ NO! _ Nevaz screamed from within the prison of his mind.  _ He’s going to get away! _

With a surge of anger even  _ he  _ didn’t realize he had, he suddenly felt the spell fall away from him, broken by the force of his will. “NO YOU DON’T!” Nevaz yelled, slamming the door shut with another pulse of gravity. He hoped Zhifae hadn’t already gone through it.

“He’s not one of us!” Nevaz yelled for the benefit of the other researchers. “ _ He _ attacked the Starstone, and he’s trying to escape before security forces get here to arrest him!” The researchers looked unconvinced, but no one was trying to stop him at this point either. A section of wall suddenly crumbled into dust and Zhifae winked back into existence as he dove through it. Nevaz saw it just in time and pulled him back into the room with another gravity pulse. “GET BACK HERE!” he barked.

Zhifae fell to the floor in a heap. “The vesk is mad!” he yelled desperately. “Can’t you see that? Help me!”

“No!” Nevaz yelled back. “He’s been using you to get to the Starstone! He’s the one who attacked it! He’s our enemy!”

But it was too late. Nevaz felt himself go rigid again, stronger than before. He suspected more than one of the researchers was holding him in place this time. He was sure Zhifae had won, and he was already shouting curses at the other researchers in his head when he realized that Zhifae wasn’t moving either. He realized that enough of them must have believed him that some were holding him the same way.

A crash and the sounds of people shouting came from outside the lab, in the direction of both the front and rear entrances. “What the hell is happening out there?” a ysoki researcher demanded.

Vex was closest to the exit so he went out to investigate. He was gone for barely two seconds before he ran back in and went straight to one of the emergency switches.

“What’s going on?” a human female asked.

Vex finished activating the emergency force shield before he turned to answer. “A contingent of station security forces have come in, but they’re battling several Allips.”

Gasps of alarm followed this pronouncement. Vex looked directly at Nevaz. ***Are these the security forces coming to arrest Zhifae?***

*** _ Yes _ ,*** Nevaz sent back. _ ***And the Allips are here to stop them. _ ***

Vex nodded. Aloud he said, “I believe Dr Nevaz. Whoever’s holding him, release him. Whichever of you are any good in a fight, the station security forces are currently converging on our location, but they’re fighting with Allips. We should assist.”

Nevaz saw a couple of the researchers nod, and felt the unseen bindings vanish. He was relieved to realize he could move again. He looked at Vex heading back to the shield control. “Wait!” he yelled, before Vex could bring it back down. “If any of you have abilities that will allow you to help in the fight from this side of the force shield, use them, but keep the shield up! The Allips can pass through walls, and they’re here for  _ him _ .” Nevaz said, pointing. “But we don’t believe they can pass through a shield. Whatever else happens, it’s imperative they not reach him.”

A couple of the researchers headed to the door and the hole in the wall so they could see what was happening from inside the shield. Nevaz hoped they were assisting in some meaningful way. He couldn’t see the fight, but it sounded intense.

Nevaz looked down at the lashunta with a look of pure hatred. “If you’re still giving orders, tell your Allips to stop attacking, or my blade will be the last thing you feel.” Nevaz brought the tip of his sword close enough to the lashunta’s neck to make the man's sweat sizzle in its glow.

The sounds of battle became fainter. Whether because Zhifae had ordered them to leave, or because they’d simply been overwhelmed by the security forces, Nevaz couldn’t say, but the remaining Allips were in retreat. Moments later the security forces had reached the lab.

A loudspeaker rang out. “Zhifae Uluas, you are under arrest for crimes against Absalom Station,” someone was saying. One of the researchers asked if it was finally safe to bring down the force shield. After roughly a minute, they were given the all-clear and the security team was able to enter. They carried a small stasis pod into the lab and quickly loaded Zhifae into it. A pair of researchers sighed visibly as they finally released the spells they’d been holding him with.

The leader of the security team walked over to Nevaz and extended his hand. “I understand you were very brave.”

Nevaz took the hand and shook it. “Thank you,” he said. “Now make sure he doesn’t get out.”

“After what they're saying  _ he _ did?” the leader answered grimly. “The next time he’s free will be after we’ve spaced his corpse.”

Nevaz nodded and simply said, “good.”

*******


	15. Visiting Hours

 

Treskara stifled a surprised noise as she saw Nevaz approaching the ship. She was seated at the monitoring station Cheezy had built. The crew hadn’t expected Nevaz to return until the repair attempt was completed. He was struggling as he made his way across the hangar bay. The gravity on the station had been offline for almost twenty minutes by this point, and what little gravity the station’s own mass produced was pulling him slightly  _ away _ from the ship. He was clearly making progress somehow, but it was slow, and he looked miserable. Treskara wondered how long he’d been trying to reach the  _ Myriad _ .

She decided to leave her post in order to go help him. Karadite might not approve, but she had her own reasons for wanting to want to talk to Nevaz. She headed to the gangway and donned a pair of magnetic boots. The gangway opened and the first thing she realized was that the temperature had dropped several degrees outside the ship.  _ That can’t be a good sign _ , she thought.

She walked carefully down the gangway ramp, unlocking one foot to move it, while holding the other in place. It was slow, but more effective than trying to move with no gravity. The effect of the ship’s own artificial grav rapidly decreased as she descended. Halfway down the ramp it was gone entirely.

Nevaz was still about a hundred paces away from the ship when she reached him. He looked troubled by the sight of her as she approached, but didn’t wave her away or make any move to avoid her. “I suppose you’re here to help?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, offering her arm to him. He took it gingerly, as if he was afraid to touch her. She was surprised at how much inertia he seemed to have as she walked him back to the ship. “You feel like moving a ton of metal!”

“Right,” he agreed. “I’m gravity-attuned at the moment. I was using it to help me move across the hangar bay. Give me a moment and I’ll dismiss it.”

He closed his eyes in concentration. Treskara suddenly felt the change as it became easier to walk with him. “That is remarkable!” she said in surprise. “But how is that possible?”

Nevaz hesitated. Treskara wasn’t sure he was going to answer. Eventually he made a shrug and spoke again. “I’m a Solarian by training. We study the stars and learn to emulate some of their abilities within our own bodies. I have the ability to become either photon or graviton attuned. I was using my gravitational attunement to help me move across the hangar bay, but it was still a slower process than I had expected.”

They had just reached the foot of the ship. “That’s incredible,” Treskara said. “Was Jian trained the same way?”

“No,” Nevaz said, a pained expression ghosting over his face for an instant. “She was trained to work with life energy, not stellar. But we worked well together. Our skills complemented one another, and we each had great respect for what the other could do.” He sighed sadly as they entered the ship, warmth and gravity surrounding them once again, like stepping out of a cold pool on a hot day.

Treskara began removing her boots while Nevaz shut the gangway. “Would you tell me more about Jian?” she asked. “I am curious to know her.”

Nevaz considered the request, and finally nodded. “I only knew her for a couple years,” he said. “But I can share what I know.” She smiled expectantly. Nevaz raised a hand to forestall her next question. “But first I want to talk to the rest of the crew about what’s going on right now.”

They found Arden in his quarters with Karadite. Arden broke into a huge smile at the sight of Nevaz. “That was very well done back at the lab!” he congratulated. Karadite gave her own expression of approval.

Nevaz just said, “Please come with me.” Then he turned and walked to Emanon and Lili’s cabin.

“I’m calling a meeting,” he told them. They looked at him uncomprehending, but started after him when he turned and walked back out.

Thohuko and Cheezy were already in the common area when the rest of the party joined them. “Hey guys,” Thohuko said. “What’s going on?”

“Nevaz has called a meeting,” Treskara informed him. Everyone found a seat and waited to find out what was going on.

“Arden tells me that Zhifae was the one who attacked the Starstone in the first place,” he began. Heads around him nodded. They knew this much already. “He’s now in custody awaiting trial,” Nevaz continued. Some cheers began at this, but Nevaz made a motion to cut them off and continued speaking. “Whether he ever receives a trial is a question however, as the station itself may not last much longer.” The smiles vanished, replaced by intent frowns.

“You may have noticed the blackouts getting worse. I see that aboard the ship at least, you’re all protected from both the power and the gravity failures, but they’ve become more frequent, and longer lasting. You may or may not even realize that we’re in the midst of one right now. I make it just over thirty minutes since it began, and it’s station-wide.” A chorus of gasps and shocked looks accompanied this news.

“Do you think this is it then?” Cheezy asked in a frightened voice. “Is the Starstone dead?”

Nevaz shook his head. “The team at the Arcanamirium working the problem has developed a model for the blackouts. This one should end in another 30 minutes when the Starstone re-energizes. But in roughly 28 hours, we believe that the Starstone will go offline permanently.”

“Why aren’t you up with the repair team?” Thohuko asked.

“A fair question,” Nevaz replied. “The truth is there isn’t much more for me to do there, and I wanted to address you all personally. The team has come up with a plan to repair the Starstone, and I think it has a good chance of success. I’ll be with them personally as they attempt to put it into place. The excavation crews will break through to the Starstone chamber in a few hours, and we’ll try to repair it then. If we are successful, the Starstone should ramp back up to full output over the following day or two and Absalom Station can go about the business of rebuilding. But if not…” he left the words hanging.

Without the Starstone, Absalom Station and its 2 million inhabitants were doomed. They didn’t need him to say it out loud.

“So what can we do?” Lili asked. Heads around her nodded in agreement.

Nevaz sighed. “Live." At their confusion, he continued. “This ship belongs to my former astronomy professor, a certain Gabriello Aristar, who teaches at the Yesaraean University of Qabarat on Castrovel. When I go down with the repair team tomorrow, I want this ship already a safe distance from the station, 15 light seconds at least. If anything should happen, I want you, and this ship, safe. If the repair attempt succeeds, come back and we can all celebrate together. But if not, then live out your lives, please, and be well.

“Cheezy, you’re clearly a competent pilot. Before I leave, I’m giving you the access codes you’ll need to control the ship. I ask that you take each of these people to whatever destination they ask, then return the ship to Aristar.”

Cheezy nodded seriously. “I will,” he promised.

“Good,” Nevaz said in a satisfied tone. “I’m arranging for you to be the recipient of my own savings and investments, so you’ll have sufficient funds to book your own passage from Castrovel to whatever destination most appeals to you, plus a fair amount left over to begin the next chapter of your life.”

Cheezy seemed surprised at this offer. “Thank you,” he said.

“Unless the ship isn’t returned,” Nevaz continued. “In which case my remaining assets will be used to fund a bounty on you.”

Cheezy looked offended. “What?” he demanded.

“When I agreed to let you stay on the ship, I took the liberty of digging into your history,” Nevaz answered. “You have a colorful past, but I think you’re mostly a good sort. Think of the bounty as simply an excuse to do the thing you know you ought to anyway. Once you’ve returned the ship, you’ll be several thousand credits richer than you are today.”

Cheezy sulked, but crossed his arms and said, “whatever.”

“Once the current blackout ends, I’m heading back to the Arcanamirium,” Nevaz told them. “If you have any other business aboard the station, see to it quickly. And bring a set of magnetic boots with you, or you may have a hard time getting back. The repair attempt will begin in 16 hours, and I want this ship undocked in 14.”

Treskara looked around at the nods of agreement, then gave her own. With the meeting over, the others began talking quietly with each other, no doubt preparing for what was to come. She ran back up to Nevaz to grab his attention. “Hey, you said you would tell me about Jian!”

“So I did,” he agreed with a sad smile. “Let’s go back to your quarters, where she used to live, and I’ll tell you as much as I can in the short time we have remaining. Though even if we had a week, I assure you there would still be plenty more to say by the end of it.”

They walked back to the living quarters. The other conversations gradually faded into the background.

*******

Thohuko and Lili left the ship the same time Nevaz did. Lili planned to accompany Nevaz up to the Arcanamirium, but Thohuko was evasive about his intended destination. 

"You don't think you need to stay near Emanon?" Lili asked, as they made their way onto the lift.

"With Finisher in custody, I assume she's safe enough, and she was perfectly happy for me to go. I'm pretty sure she hates me." Thohuko hung his head sadly as he considered that fact.

Lili gave him a reassuring smile. "You're a good guy Tho, and she'll figure that out eventually."

Thohuko shrugged, unconvinced.

He reached his stop, several floors beneath the dome, and waved goodbye.

"Remember, the ship leaves at 6 am tomorrow," Nevaz warned. "Whatever you need to do, be back on board before then."

"I told you a dozen times, I understand,” Thohuko promised once again. “I just have some things to take care of.”

“Fine, sorry, just be careful,” Nevaz called as Thohuko left the crowded lift.

Thohuko checked the signage to make sure he was going in the right direction, and spent the next 20 minutes walking deeper into the center of the station, until he’d reached the central holding facility below the hall of justice.

“Gonna have to check that weapon,” a guard told him politely.

“Oh, I thought since it was a Defender-” Thohuko said.

“You could hang onto it?” the guard finished with a smile. “Yeah, most places that’s true, but this isn’t most places. You want to come in, you’ll have to leave it here. But don’t worry, we’ll take good care of it. She’s a big one, ain’t she?” he noted appreciatively.

Thohuko smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I call her Bessie. I suppose if there’s anywhere on the station where there’s enough weapons around that I don’t need my own, this is probably it.” The guard tilted his head in agreement. Thohuko only hesitated a moment before passing the bulky plasma pistol across the counter. The guard at the entrance prepared his receipt.

“Head to the reception area and tell them who you’re here to see,” the guard said, pointing inside behind him. Thohuko went the indicated direction.

“Name?” a dwarven receptionist asked, her face a mask of bored disinterest.

“Thohuko Osh,” he introduced.

“What’s the purpose of your visit?” she asked.

“I’m here to visit a prisoner,” Thohuko said. “Zhifae Uluas.”

A moment of stunned surprise passed between them. “How do you know about him?” she asked at last.

“I helped identify him for the investigation, and I assisted in compiling the evidence against him,” Thohuko answered steadily.

A curious expression appeared on the woman’s face. “So what then, you’re here to gloat?”

Thohuko shook his head quickly. “No, absolutely not. I’m here to ask him  _ why _ .”

“He hasn’t been assigned a lawyer yet,” she told him. “That generally needs to happen before we allow a visitor.”

Thohuko’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, I didn’t realize that. Do you know when that might happen?” he asked, not expecting it to be soon enough.

“Let me see if the detective in charge will make an exception,” she said mysteriously. She activated an intercom and waited for a response.

“Miklosh here,” a voice said.

“Miklosh, this is Shanet. I’ve got someone here who claims he helped with the Zhifae Uluas case. He wants to visit the prisoner.”

“Oh, and who would that be?” Miklosh’s voice replied.

“He says his name is Thohuko Osh,” she answered.

“Don’t know him,” Miklosh replied gruffly.

Thohuko quickly cut in. “Maybe you know the man I’m working for, Arden Finder?”

There was silence on the other end for a moment. “Send him to my desk,” came the reply.

Shanet ended the communication. A small robot came over. “Follow the robot,” she told Thohuko, then waved him away.

Miklosh turned out to be a half-orc. “So you’re a friend of Arden’s,” he said, once Thohuko had introduced himself. “His information was essential in this case. I was hesitant to work with a consultant, but it clearly paid off.”

“Yes,” Thohuko said. “I’m just glad you were able to catch him.”

“So am I,” Miklosh agreed darkly. “Two of my men are still in the hospital from his infernal Allips,” he informed him. “We’re afraid one of them may never fully regain his sanity.”

“I didn’t know that,” Thohuko replied sympathetically.

“So why do you want to talk to him?” Miklosh asked. “That  _ is _ why you’re here, correct?”

Thohuko nodded. “I knew Zhifae by reputation long before I found out he was the mastermind behind the attacks. We met for a couple of hours just a day after the attack, and he seemed like a nice guy - brilliant, yet approachable at the same time. He really seemed to take a shine to me. He even introduced me to the other members of the repair team. I had no idea there was such a darkness lurking within him. I want to look him in the eye and ask him why he did it.”

“Would you be willing to have your visit filmed?” Miklosh asked. Thohuko tried and failed to hide his surprise at this question.

“Filmed?” he repeated. “Why?”

“We still don’t know Zhifae’s motive,” Miklosh explained. “He may have gathered the attackers, but we don’t know if he works for someone else. We don’t know if he has further plans in place that we need to be wary of. And we don’t know what to expect from the Allips now that Zhifae is imprisoned. You say he likes you, yes? Maybe you could get us those answers. He hasn’t spoken to any of my investigators.”

Thohuko didn’t need time to consider the offer. “I’ll see what I can do,” he promised.

Miklosh nodded quickly in approval. “Follow me,” he said.

The half-orc walked Thohuko down to the holding cells, past a door marked “Maximum security.” Thohuko saw a lot of guards here, but almost no prisoners. Finally, they came to a cell with a double layer of force shields, and two heavily armed guards standing to either side of the entrance. “Visitor for you, prisoner,” Miklosh announced.

“Oh?” a voice from inside the cell came back. “Is this supposed to be my lawyer, then?”

Miklosh motioned for Thohuko to step forward. “Hello again, Zhifae,” Thohuko said, stepping into view.

He was gratified to see shocked recognition in the other man’s eyes. “Thohuko? The young student from the university?” he said in surprise. “But how did you find me?”

“By finding you,” Thohuko answered cryptically.

“You mean to say you helped them  _ catch _ me?” he asked, seeming unsure he’d understood the other man’s meaning. Thohuko nodded. Zhifae arched an eyebrow and bowed his head slightly. “Well, I did mark you for a man of action. Clearly I was correct.”

Miklosh turned to one of the guards and pointed at Thohuko. “He gets 5 minutes with the prisoner.” Then he left.

“It seems this conversation will be shorter than our last one,” Zhifae noted evenly.

“Then let’s not waste it,” Thohuko said. “Why’d you attack the Starstone?”

“I never intended to attack it,” Zhifae said glumly. “I believed I was following through on a prophecy. One that would see me ascend to godhood.”

“And how was that supposed to work?” Thohuko asked.

“My instructions were to disconnect the Starstone from the reactor, then place my hands on opposite ends. The divine energy would flow into me, and I would transcend my mortal body.”

“Sounds straightforward enough,” Thohuko said. “So what went wrong? Why are you still a lowly mortal like the rest of us?”

Zhifae looked at the floor of his cell darkly. “I made it into the chamber, but the Starstone’s connections couldn’t be undone. When I tried, the stone itself began to crack instead. A howling wind came through the fissure, and I could see it’s destruction was imminent, so I turned invisible and ran from there as fast as I could. I barely survived the event.”

“What about the Allips?” Thohuko asked.

Zhifae flashed the briefest of smiles. Thohuko found the expression chilling. “Yes, they were rather unexpected,” Zhifae conceded. “Some of them appeared as shadows when the crack first opened. I didn’t realize what they were at the time. Still more came after the gravity implosion itself. But they’ve been useful servants since then, that much is true. I didn’t mean for them to appear, but I wasn’t going to refuse their assistance once they made it available to me.”

“Any power you can get is good power?” Thohuko asked angrily.

“Such a naive boy you are, Thohuko,” Zhifae answered coolly. “Power is power. It isn’t good or evil.”

“I suppose you still think you deserve to be a god then?” Thohuko snorted.

“Of course I do!” Zhifae snarled with an unexpected passion. “The gods care little for us. The Starstone proves it. Any one of them could repair it easily, but they’re content to watch as millions of their followers die rather than inconvenience themselves with our affairs. That's why I was forced to step in.”

“So you really did intend to fix the Starstone then?” Thohuko asked in surprise. “Being on the repair team wasn’t just a ruse to reach it?”

Zhifae's voice turned sad. "Yes, I was genuinely trying to fix the stone. Whatever you may think of me, I hope you realize I never intended to hurt anyone."

"No?" Thohuko shot back accusingly. "What about the maintenance tech Veznok tortured?"

"You heard about that, did you?" Zhifae answered. "I'm sorry about him, truly. I was the one who got him to the hospital though. I took a risk in doing that, but I felt I owed it to him. I sincerely hope he recovers."

Thohuko was taken back for a moment by this display of concern, but only briefly. “What about Emanon?” he shot back.

Zhifae looked confused for a moment, then seemed to figure out who he meant. “The elf?” he asked.

“Yes. The elf,” Thohuko confirmed.

“That wasn’t my doing,” Zhifae insisted. “Something about that elf, and the fire elementals too, it compels them to attack. I’ve been trying to keep the Allips away from them. Not entirely out of the goodness of my heart, if I’m being honest, but mainly because I don’t like them acting on their own.”

“What about the other attacks?” Thohuko asked, his eyes narrowing.

“Yes, I directed them,” Zhifae admitted. “I had the Allips possess a few people, chase a few from places where I required privacy, and yes, I directed the assassination of Veznok, which I’m guessing you already know about. I understand the Allips took matters a little too far in some cases, resulting in fatalities I never intended. But they were all in service of a greater good, and I didn’t do it lightly.”

“Greater good?” Thohuko asked disbelieving. “Do you mean to tell me that you were still trying to ascend, even after what happened the last time?”

“Yes,” Zhifae answered.

“You said you were sincerely trying to repair the Starstone!” Thohuko accused.

“The connections to the station are much weaker now,” Zhifae said. “Not that it matters anymore, but I could have disconnected it, used it to ascend, and then repaired it myself.”

Thohuko couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You arrogant-”

“Man of action!” Zhifae yelled over him. “It’s the  _ only _ plan that has a chance of working! The repair team are acting as though they’re trying to use hot water to fuse a couple of broken chunks of ice back together. It will NEVER work!”

Thohuko made an effort to control his anger. He wasn’t sure the repair team could succeed, but he knew he didn’t want to see this egomaniac turn into a god.

Miklosh chose that moment to return. “Time’s up,” he announced.

“Wait,” Zhifae called out. “You helped rescue the elementals. I know one stayed on the station. So long as it stays inside the plasma chamber, the force shield will keep it safe. But the elf - if you’re helping protect her, or know who is, make sure she doesn’t lower her guard. The Allips, now that they’re no longer under my control, will have nothing holding them back from attacking her. She’s in more danger now than before my capture.”

Thohuko nodded once as he allowed Miklosh to lead him away. Zhifae had given him much to consider.

*******

Back at the Arcanamirium, Nevaz guided Lili to the high energy research lab where the final fire elemental was staying. The Sarenite monk, a short, stocky lashunta in yellow robes, stood just inside the entrance to the lab.

“Hello Shafaras,” Nevaz greeted.

“Hello again, Dr Nevaz,” the monk greeted in return. “Did you wish to speak with Vulcanix again?”

“Please give him my regards, but I have other business to attend to.”

“Certainly,” the monk replied. His eyes became unfocused for a brief moment. “Vulcanix extends his regards as well. And who’s your friend?” Shafaras asked.

“This is Lili,” Nevaz answered. “She was with us when we first encountered the elementals, and had hoped to speak with him, if he’s willing.”

“Thanks,” she whispered to Nevaz, then turned her smile to Shafaras.

Shafaras took on an unfocused look again. “Vulcanix has agreed to converse with you, Lili. And he thanks you for your courage in the previous battle.”

“So how does this work?” Lili asked, as Nevaz left the room.

“You will speak to me as though speaking to Vulcanix, and I will speak his responses back to you,” the monk explained.

“Okay,” she said, nodding. “Vulcanix, what can you tell me about your home?”

The monk allowed his eyes to lose focus again. “It was prosperous, for the most part. My people were content. Our star had an abundance of heavier elements with which we constructed our homes and cities.”

“What do you mean by ‘your people’, Vulcanix?”

“I was king over my domain,” he answered simply.

“Oh, I had no idea. How large was your domain?” Lili asked.

“I am not sure how you measure distance and area here, but most of the plane fell under my dominion.”

Lili's eye's widened at the revelation. If every inhabited planet in the entire Pact worlds system had their lands added together in one giant kingdom, she realized it would still be only a small piece of the kingdom Vulcanix ruled.

“Your majesty,” Lili said in astonishment. “How many of your kind did you rule, if I might ask?”

“My people were too numerous to be ruled directly, so their precise number I cannot tell you. I oversaw the fate of 1 million provinces, each holding somewhere around 5 to 10 million elementals who owed me their allegiance. Each province selected a ruler, and I ruled through them. I made laws and settled disputes between them, but the provincial rulers managed the day to day operations of their own people.”

Lili quickly did the math in her head. Vulcanix ruled over trillions of other elementals. She could hardly even believe so many existed. But a star was large, and each of them was only slightly larger than a typical human. So, there was certainly space enough for them all. But to imagine that they all swore allegiance to this particular elemental was nearly beyond the limits of her comprehension.

“But your majesty, you must be so lonely here, after living so long among so many of your kind. Why did you stay here, rather than leave with your other subjects?”

The monk was silent for a while. Lili supposed Vulcanix was deciding how to answer. “It is true,” he said finally. “I am alone. It is most unpleasant.” The monk paused. Lili wasn’t sure Vulcanix even knew himself why he’d decided to stay. She wondered if maybe she should say something to break the silence.

“Your majesty-”

“I suppose,” he said, cutting her off. “I suppose I stay because it gives me a chance of returning. I still have a duty to my people. I must return to them if I can. And also, if I go to the plane of fire here, none will know me, or be loyal to me, save for my ten servants. To go from so high to so low - I think I should prefer the dangers of this place to the ignominy of being unknown.”

So, his ego was keeping him here. And duty, perhaps.

“Vulcanix, I hope you get a chance to go home to your people.”

“Thank you, Lili. If you discover a way, please tell me. I am not in a position to reward you as once I could, but I would create a monument to you, and trillions of my people would praise your name.”

"Of course," she promised. “Vulcanix, I believe you were the one who told my friend you had used a portal to leave the Plane of Fire by your own choice-” Lili’s words were cut off as the power went out unexpectedly.

“Here we go again,” said the monk.

“Shafaras, was that Vulcanix or you just now?” Lili asked.

“Both,” the monk said shrugging.

The plasma chamber didn’t immediately die out, giving them a small amount of light through the window. “Do you have something to keep the room lit?” Lili asked.

The monk nodded and sent four orbs of light into the air, then sent them to hover just inside the corners of the room. Lili donned her magnetic boots. The gravity hadn’t gone out yet, but she knew there was a good chance it was about to.

“Look out!” the monk yelled, as three Allips suddenly floated through the wall toward them. Lili panicked, thinking back to her last encounters - the theater where Jian had been killed; the garden where she’d nearly been possessed. A calm inner voice reminded her about the new ear buds. She activated them, then stood and prepared to face the attackers.

The Allips didn’t even seem to notice Lili or the monk. Instead, they headed straight for Vulcanix. The force shield on his plasma chamber was down, and would remain down until the power returned.

Shafaras reacted to the threat by quickly unleashing three magic missiles, one for each of the Allips. They were hurt, but only barely. With a screeching sound like metal scraping metal, they turned as one to face him. Lili lined up her cryo pistol on one of them and fired. It vanished with a dying scream and its shadow disappeared through the floor. Lili stared at her weapon for a moment in stunned disbelief. The other two Allips seemed just as surprised. They changed tactics and began chanting. The monk fell helpless and his lights winked out.

Lili kept her wits, but she couldn’t see. Suddenly, a roaring fire emerged from the plasma lab. The elemental exited the chamber and began punching one of the Allips. Able to see again in the dim firelight, Lili shot the other one just before it reached her. It vanished the same way the first one had.

The last Allip stopped chanting and turned its attention to fighting Vulcanix. Its counterattack was horrible but brief. In the absence of its chanting, the monk recovered his senses and quickly sent three more blasts of force at it. The Allip vanished.

Shafaras rushed over to Vulcanix’s side. He was sitting on the floor of the lab, grabbing at his head in pain.

“Will he be ok?” Lili asked, worry evident in her eyes.

“I think so,” the monk answered, as the elemental slowly rose to his feet again. “He asks if you would be willing to stay though, in case more attack.”

“I can stay,” Lili told them. The gravity dropped away over the next several seconds.

“This has certainly been rather more exciting than my last post,” Shafaras lamented.

*******

It was late, and Lili still hadn’t returned to the  _ Myriad _ when Emanon finally fell asleep. Thohuko had come back hours earlier, warning her that the danger from the Allips might actually be greater now than before. They’d activated the ship’s own force shield, creating a thin skin of energy around the entire hull. It required a lot of power to maintain, but they figured they had enough fuel to keep it active until it was time to leave the station.

But Emanon had made it clear that leaving the station early, even to keep her safe, simply wasn’t an option until Lili was back on board. They had told Lili when they’d depart, and they weren’t leaving one minute before then.

Lili, for her part, was cagey about when she’d be back. Apparently, she’d promised to stay near the last fire elemental on the station and act as his defender.

Emanon could hardly fault her for that much. According to Thohuko, the elemental was just as much a target as she was, and while Emanon had five people defending her, the elemental only had Lili. Well, plus a monk, but apparently he wasn’t as well equipped as Emanon’s defenders.

So when she finally did fall asleep, she wasn’t expecting it to be especially restful. But neither was she expecting to suddenly find herself in a brightly-lit field of flowers beneath a shining mountain. She blinked in the sudden brightness and tried to make sense of the unexpected scene.

A dark-haired human woman in radiant armor walked toward her. “Welcome, sister,” she said in a voice at once loud yet gentle, as if being sent as an echo over a great distance.

Emanon tried to get her bearings. “Do I- do I know you?” she asked, confused by this sudden change of scenery. It didn’t feel like a dream, yet she couldn’t understand how she’d gotten here if it wasn’t one.

The woman shook her head. “We never met in life, though we did live upon Golarion at the same time. I am Iomedae. Welcome to Elysium.”

“Now?” Emanon asked in shock. “I finally made it?”

The woman smiled. “That’s not the reaction I usually get, but I suppose the week you’ve been having has been anything but usual.”

“I don’t understand,” Emanon said. “Did I die for real this time?”

“No sister, I have merely taken your astral form here so we could speak together. Your mortal form remains aboard Absalom Station, safe for now.”

“Why have you brought me here, Iomedae?” Emanon asked.

“As I said, we must speak,” Iomedae replied. “You are needed back in your own time. Your story there must resume. Do not leave Absalom Station aboard your current vessel.”

“How can I return to my own time?”

Iomedae held out her hands. A glowing crystal appeared in each one. She set them on the ground and they began growing until they were nearly twice as tall as Emanon herself.

“You see before you the Starstone as it looks today. It is damaged. Dying,” Iomedae looked sad as she said this. “Before it passes completely, you must touch both fragments of the Starstone. It will return you to the place and time you left.”

Emanon nodded. “I will, my lady.”

“You will not be alone when you return,” Iomedae continued. “I am sending someone with you, to help you on your next quest.”

“You’re giving me a quest?” Emanon asked, intrigued.

Iomedae shook her head. “I do not give you this quest. It is a quest you have already set for yourself. I merely seek to aid you.”

“I am your servant, lady,” Emanon said with a formal bow.

Iomedae suddenly laughed. “Oh no, Emanon nue Ruelemans, you are many things, but my servant is not one of them.” Her expression became somber. “Go now, sister. You have much to do and so little time left to do it. Dark forces are gathering. Be ever vigilant and you may yet prevail.”

Emanon suddenly awoke. It was just past midnight, and she finally knew what she had to do.

*******

The power had gone out again, but the shield surrounding the cell holding Finisher didn’t so much as flicker (of course). Well, if the Starstone died, he supposed eventually the backup power unit keeping his cell secure would run down and he’d be free. Not that it would do him much good, as he presumed that either the temperature or the oxygen level would drop below survivable levels well before that happened.

He noticed a guard enter the unit and begin walking toward his cell. Time for another "welfare check," he supposed. Pathetic. Keeping him from sleeping was their pitiful way of making his life just a little more miserable than the cell itself strictly had to be. They needn’t have bothered. Knowing that the Starstone was still calling to him was more than sufficient to keep him from falling asleep even if he’d wanted to.

The light was dim. Only the emergency lights provided any illumination during the power outage, though that was still more than most levels aboard the station had right now. For obvious reasons, the security service was extremely interested in keeping the area at least partially illuminated no matter what.

Something about the guard caused Finisher to take a closer look. He wasn’t walking the way guards usually did. For one thing, he was heading directly toward his cell, without giving the usual greetings to the other guards. For another… Finisher smiled. As the guard moved, an extra shadow trailed along with him, completely independent of the lighting.

“Well boys,” Finisher called out. “Guess I’ll be seeing you around.”

The two guards posted at either side of his cell turned to glare at him when the approaching guard suddenly pulled out his weapon and shot them both at close range. 

“Oh, guess not,” Finisher said to the two dead men.

Without stopping, the possessed guard pulled out a badge and walked to a control panel. In moments, the force shield was deactivated. The guard slumped over as the Allip within went to join its eager master. The familiar rush felt good. But he’d need more.

“To me!” Finisher called out, throwing every bit of magical energy into the command that he could. Every Allip on the station heard him, he could feel it. And without fail, they all came rushing to his aid. In moments, over a dozen had merged with him, lending him their power. He walked out of the cell slowly, reveling in their madness as he glided forward.

Dozens of guards quickly ran into the secure wing, yelling and shooting. The attacks that hit barely tickled as even more Allips joined his cause.

“Oh really, is that all you can do?” Finisher laughed. “Let me show you fools  _ true _ power.” He shot lightning from his hands as though playing some sort of game. Half a dozen of the guards fell down instantly, their corpses smoking. Finisher exulted in his own power, drunk with it.

The remaining guards realized they couldn’t stop him and tried to retreat. Finisher briefly considered letting them, but then decided he’d just have to deal with them later if he didn’t take care of them now.

“Let’s sing for them, friends,” he said, sounding almost gracious.

The sounds of dozens of Allips all chanting at once filled the holding area. Guards and inmates alike fell unconscious or went mad, some turning on each other, a few shooting themselves. Finisher didn’t pay close attention to the scene, knowing that anyone left wouldn’t dare challenge him. He had far more important matters on his mind.

He left the holding center and vanished from sight. He needed to get his plan back on track. He was about to become a god.

*******


	16. Panic at the Starstone

It was the middle of the night when Arden’s communicator went off. When he didn’t answer right away, it just got louder. He woke from his dreams with difficulty and found the source of the commotion.

“Hullo?” he asked groggily.

It was an unfamiliar voice on the other end. “Arden, this is Officer Miklosh, station security commander and lead investigator on the Starstone attack. I need you and your team on standby. Zhifae Uluas escaped his holding cell a few minutes ago.”

“What? How!” Arden said, jolting awake in alarm.

“We think one of the guards was possessed by an Allip,” Miklosh explained. “He shot the two posted outside Uluas’s cell, then dropped the force shield. Then things really went to hell. Uluas managed to swarm the area with additional Allips. They made him invulnerable to our weapons, while he killed our own forces or drove them mad.”

Arden felt like he was back on the ship just after the crash. Nothing around him made sense and he was too stunned to speak.

“Arden?” Miklosh’s voice was calling. “Arden! Answer me!”

“S-sorry,” Arden stammered. “I’m just- I don’t know what to think right now.”

“I suppose that’s no worse than my reaction when I learned about the situation,” Miklosh grunted. “I need you and your team ready to move as soon as we find him,” Miklosh added. “We’re putting together as large a force as we still can. I’m calling squad leaders now, wherever I can find them, but I don’t have as many as I need. So lucky you, I’m pulling you from ‘unofficial’ member of the investigation to ‘official’. Your weapons are better than anything my guys have right now, at least for fighting Uluas and his Allips.”

“Understood, commander,” Arden said shakily. He wasn’t sure the others would go along with it, but for his part, he knew where his own duty lay.

He dressed hurriedly, then ran to Karadite and Treskara’s quarters first.

“Karadite! Wake up!” Arden yelled, banging on their cabin door.

Her voice sounded a moment later. “Arden, what is happening?”

“It’s Finisher,” Arden said. “He’s loose.”

The door flew open a second later. Karadite was barely half-dressed and her face was angrier than Arden had ever seen it. “What happened?” she demanded.

“Apparently an Allip possessed one of the guards and broke him out of his cell, then he called a horde of other Allips to him and overwhelmed the other guards,” Arden said, summarizing.

“This is your fault!” she yelled. “You and your stupid laws and systems. You needed a  _ trial _ ,” she spat. “He killed thousands! He destroyed my home! He destroyed entire neighborhoods, and we put him in a damn CELL!”

Emanon and Thohuko had woken up by this point and come into the hall.

“He escaped?” Thohuko exclaimed in alarm.

“We had the intel we needed,” Karadite continued, ignoring Thohuko. “I said we should strike him when he wasn’t expecting it - end him once and for all. But  _ you _ said we couldn’t do that. You said he had to be brought to ‘justice’. You said the residents of Absalom Station  _ deserved _ to see him put on trial. THEY NEEDED VENGEANCE, YOU IDIOT!” Karadite broke her stream of invective to launch into a scream of incoherent rage.

Arden was scared. He’d had no idea Karadite was even capable of this level of emotion. He backed away in genuine fear that she was about to strike. He could feel the tension inside her and knew she was considering it.

Emanon ran forward and put herself between Karadite and Arden. “ENOUGH!” she yelled, using her abilities to amplify her voice beyond anything a humanoid could achieve naturally.

The shock of it stunned Karadite into silence.

“What’s done is done,” Emanon said with authority. When no one spoke, she continued. “I have had a vision. I know now that I must reach the Starstone.”

“Wait, what?” Thohuko said, attempting to keep up with this unexpected change of topic. “What vision?”

“A mysterious woman brought me to Elysium and showed me the Starstone, broken in two. She said that I must touch the fragments before it dies, and I will return to my own time. She warned me that dark forces were gathering, but that it was essential I do this.”

“Did you recognize the woman?” Arden asked quietly.

Emanon shook her head. “I had never seen her. But she told me her name was Iomedae, if that means anything to you.”

The rest of them looked stricken. “Iomedae? You’re sure?” Thohuko and Arden asked, speaking at the same time.

Karadite looked at the elf curiously. “You met a goddess tonight, Emanon.”

Emanon’s eyes got wider, but she just nodded.

Treskara peeked out around Karadite. “Nevaz told me that Jian worshipped Iomedae.” Karadite made room for the other android to come out the door.

“I would like to help you if I can,” Treskara said, bowing her head slightly.

Thohuko tilted his head in Emanon’s direction. “I will help you as well,” he promised.

“For my own part, I need to help take down Finisher,” Arden said. “Karadite? Will you come with me?”

Karadite’s scowl returned, but she nodded. “I don’t know if it’s even possible now, but I will do what I can.”

Cheezy appeared, walking down to the living quarters. “Oh hey, what are you guys all doing up?” he asked.

“Apparently our day is off to an early start,” Thohuko replied. “Finisher escaped and Emanon just received instructions from a goddess to go to the Starstone.”

“That’s um, a lot to take in,” Cheezy answered slowly. “So what’s the plan?”

“Karadite and I are going to go after Finisher,” Arden said. “Thohuko, Emanon, and Treskara are going to head to the Starstone.” He looked at them curiously. “Do you guys have any idea how to get there? I mean, the excavation team should be breaking through in the next hour or two, but they’re not just going to let you all in.”

The three looked at each other uncertainly. Finally Emanon said, “Perhaps Iomedae will intervene?” Treskara and Thohuko shrugged.

“What are  _ you  _ doing here?” Karadite asked Cheezy. “Aren’t you supposed to be on watch still?”

“Oh, right!” Cheezy said. “We have visitors! I was coming down to tell you.”

“Visitors?” Arden asked.

“Looks important too,” Cheezy confirmed. “They came in a private limo. An old guy and a couple of androids.”

Arden couldn’t even identify the moment he went from gaping to running, but he found himself at the rear hatch seconds later, watching the high priest’s face come into view as the gangway slowly lowered.

High Priest Gevrant Iseki-Okaibo stood patiently, seeming unbothered by having been forced to wait. “Won’t you invite me in?” he asked Arden’s kneeling form.

Arden managed to nod without actually looking up. “Yes, your holiness,” he replied nervously.

“What did I tell you about the kneeling last time?” the high priest said with a sigh. “Honestly, I’m coming to  _ you _ this time.”

Arden felt a pang of embarrassment as he slowly returned to a standing position. “Ah, that’s better,” the priest said in approval. “Introduce me to your friends?”

“Yes of course,” Arden said. “These are my associates, Karadite, Thohuko, Cheezy, Emanon, and Treskara.”

Iseki-Okaibo smiled at each of them, then turned back to Arden. “I’m afraid this isn’t a social call, however.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Actually, you’re probably going to want to do the kneeling thing after all.”

“Wha-” Arden began, but stopped when waves of energy suddenly began radiating from the high priest, his eyes glowing white.

In a booming voice, the high priest declared, “Mortals, know that you speak to Abadar, master of the first vault, father of commerce and civilization, founder and senior shareholder of AbadarCorp, and keeper of the golden scales.”

Arden, Karadite, Thohuko, Emanon, and Treskara all dropped to their knees instantly. Cheezy took a moment to scope out the situation before eventually deciding he ought to do the same.

The priest continued speaking in the same booming voice. “Hear now the secret knowledge, and mind my words. Your fate is tied to an ancient struggle, and you should know whom you face.

“Before Golarion was home to mortals, it was home to the gods. We were attacked by the ancient enemy Rovagug and could not destroy him. His might was beyond our own, and many of us did he slay. His appetite for destruction was limitless, and we feared he would devour our world as he had already devoured so many others. As we could not kill him, we trapped him, deep within Golarion, in a vault we believed he could never escape. 

“But he woke from his slumber and discovered cracks within his prison. These he used to attack the world above, and to twist many mortal hearts to become his followers. He lured them with lies, bent them toward destruction, and ultimately used them to break his prison.

“So freed, he attacked, strong and terrible, and once again, we could not defeat him. But before he could leave Golarion, we bound up the planet and hid it in a separate dimension, together with the moon Somal, then tucked them both within the Starstone.

“Today, the Starstone lies broken and fading. Its power not only ceases to flow through Absalom Station, but it loosens its hold on Golarion. If the Starstone should fail completely, the last line of defense against Rovagug will break, Golarion and Somal shall reappear, and the rough beast will be free to devour entire worlds once again. We gods won't be able to stop him.”

The high priest became silent, but his eyes maintained their white glow.

When no one else moved to say anything, Arden spoke up. “Abadar, how can we save the Starstone?”

“The plans of your mortal scholars show promise, but even I cannot know whether they will succeed. The Starstone is a mystery, even to the gods.”

“What about you?” Arden asked hopefully. “Could you repair it?”

“As a god, I might be able to repair it,” Abadar answered. “But it would cost the full measure of my power. If I were to make the attempt, succeed or fail, I would lose my divinity and become mortal. I have far too many responsibilities and followers to permit that to happen.”

“What if someone used the Starstone to ascend?” Arden asked. “Could the ascended then give their divinity back, in order to effect a repair?”

“No,” Abadar answered definitively. “The Starstone as it is is far too weak. With the last of its energy, it might yet ascend a mortal, but it would then die, and the tragedy that I have foretold would immediately come upon us. Mortal and immortal alike would perish in the rough beast’s rampage.”

Arden imagined Finisher causing exactly that situation, and trembled at the prospect. “Finisher has escaped, Abadar, and he yet seeks to ascend. How can we stop him?”

“The one called Finisher has grown in power. Even I cannot see him, but you already know where he will strike. Go to the Starstone. Be there when the way is open, and defend the scholars repairing it. If mortal alchemy can yet save the Starstone, they will need your protection.”

“Yes, Lord Abadar,” Arden said obediently. He had one more question though, and was nervous about asking it. “My Lord, if the repair team should fail, what will the gods do?”

The high priest was silent for several moments. Arden feared he had angered his god. But then the priest made a sound almost like a sigh, and began speaking. “There is a council happening among our number. For the good of all, one of us will shed our divinity if that is what must be done. I can not say which of us will ultimately be called on to make the attempt. And even then, the effort may fail. But succeed, Arden Finder. Stop Finisher. Repair the Starstone by mortal magic, and not only will Absalom Station be in your debt, you shall save a god.”

The high priest’s eyes returned to their normal color, and the waves of pressure radiating from his body finally ceased. Arden slowly rose, then looked around and realized his friends were still kneeling.

“The message was only for you, Arden,” the priest explained. “The others weren’t permitted to hear it. They’ll come to in a moment. They’ll know you received a message from Abadar, but it is up to you how much you share. Be judicious. The information you received is not for all to know.”

“Did you hear it yourself, high CEO?” Arden asked.

Iseki-Okaibo nodded. “And now we know why Abadar took such interest in this matter. I’ll see to it that you’re all allowed to reach the excavation site, and I’ve brought you a weapon identical to your own for the new android. If she’s willing to stand in the Starstone’s defense, she should be armed appropriately.”

“What about Miklosh?” Arden asked. “He thinks I’m standing by to move on his orders, once they find Finisher.”

“If they can find and defeat him without you, that’s good,” the high priest said sagely. “But I’ll remind the commander who you actually work for. He won’t be a problem.”

Iseki-Okaibo motioned to one of the androids. It walked up the gangway carrying a small case that Arden presumed was Treskara’s new sonic pistol. The android set it down on the floor and walked back, with the high priest following just behind.

“Good luck, Mr Finder,” the priest said as he left. “Your companions should be coming around momentarily. Remember to choose carefully how much to tell them, and have them assembled in defense of the Starstone shortly.”

*******

Emanon had already known she was heading to the Starstone, so once Arden had his orders, she was relieved they’d all be going together. And with permission, no less. In truth, she’d had no idea how she was going to enter the most secure area on the entire station.

Before she could leave the ship however, she asked Thohuko to place a call for her. He did, then handed her the communicator. Lili’s face showed up an instant later. She looked tired, but smiled at her friend.

“Emanon!” Lili said happily. “Since you’re calling on Thohuko’s comm, should I take that to mean you’re speaking to him again?”

“Even for an elf, life’s too short to waste it hating someone,” she sighed. “I’ll always remember what he did, but I’ll also remember that he saved my life. Anyway, I’m glad you’re up. I have some important news to share with you.”

Lili nodded, interest showing in her expression.

“We’re not leaving the station after all,” Emanon said. “I received a vision last night from the goddess Iomedae. She told me I need to touch the Starstone fragments, and that I’ll be returned home. The fire elemental probably needs to do the same thing.”

“He’ll be very grateful to hear it!” Lili exclaimed.

“I’m sure he will, but there’s more, and it’s not good,” Emanon continued. “Finisher escaped his confinement.”

“No!” Lili said in horror.

“It’s true,” Emanon went on. “And he killed a lot of security personnel who tried to stop him. They don’t know where he is now, but we know he’s going after the Starstone as well. And Lili, he’s incredibly powerful. We had no idea how powerful he could truly be with the Allips in full support, but Arden and Karadite showed me the videos.”

“I’ll come to the Starstone with you,” Lili promised. “I know Vulcanix will too.”

“We’re meeting on Level 11 first,” Emanon said. “Karadite’s equipment is there, and they’ve devised a plan that’s going to need it. I’m sending you the address.”

“I’ll see you soon, Em,” Lili said as she disconnected.

She handed the comm back to Thohuko, who looked at it with a curious expression. “Did you mean what you said, Em?” he asked. “About life being too short for hate?”

_ Oops _ . She’d somehow forgotten he was still around when she’d said it. She really didn’t want to get into this right now. “Thohuko, now’s really not the time,” she said.

“Why not?” he asked. “We’re ready to go, we’ll leave in a few minutes, but there’s no way to know if we’ll have a chance to talk about this after. Please tell me how you feel about me.”

She sighed. She didn’t see an easy way out of the conversation. “Look Tho, I’m still upset about Jian’s death, and that’s not going to just go away. But I was also upset because I thought you liked me, and I found it flattering. Maybe even... well,  _ interesting _ . Then I find out you were only hanging around because you’d been ordered to by a goddess.” She hesitated a moment, thinking through what she’d just said. “Is it ridiculous that I would’ve preferred the non-divine reason?”

“Em,” Thohuko began slowly. “I wish I had understood how serious the danger was, and I wish I could’ve saved Jian. You know I tried. And I’m so sorry I wasn’t honest with you.” His face fell for a moment. “But I  _ did _ like you. When Sarenrae sent her message, I was worried about you, but also a teensy bit grateful that I had a reason to stay by your side. It’s, well, it was where I wanted to be anyway.”

So he  _ had _ liked her. “You could have told me sooner. I liked you too, stupid." She felt her cheeks flush, then she reached up and gave him a quick hug. He returned it warmly. “I forgive you, Thohuko," she said, letting out a sigh. 

“Thank you,” Thohuko said, holding her just a little tighter before letting go. “I hope you think of me sometimes, after you make it home.”

Emanon nodded. “I will,” she promised. “And don’t you forget about me either,” she insisted, grabbing his hand for emphasis.

Karadite found them moments later. “Get moving,” she told them. “We’re clearing out now.”

They acknowledged the order and dropped hands, following her down the gangway along with the others. The hatch closed behind them and Emanon allowed herself one last look back at the  _ Myriad _ , knowing that, whatever was about to happen, she’d probably never see it again.

*******

The party converged at the excavation site a little later, along with Vulcanix. Karadite had the equipment she needed, and Cheezy was working to modify it for their purposes. None of them were confident they’d be able to stop Finisher, but the repair team were counting on them to give them as much time as they could while they proceeded with their attempt.

The excavation site was a brightly lit staging area leading to a 30 meter tunnel through almost solid metal and composite that the Starstone had compacted. The Allips wouldn’t be able to pass through that much solid material, so they knew that Finisher would have to come there.

The device the repair team had constructed looked like a huge steel net cradled in a hammock, with wheels to help position it around the Starstone. It would surround the fragments and bind them in place. A specially-designed tube with tiny perforations along the inside would then be wrapped all around the fissure, while a sticky band of adhesive kept it from moving. A hot, high-pressure solution of dissolved shard would be sent through the tube, hopefully sealing the crack from all points at once.

Nevaz had had time to explain this much to them, but the question of whether it would actually work was still unclear. All he could tell them on that point was, “It’s got the best chance of anything we could come up with.”

Not all members of the repair team would work on actually implementing it. Nevaz would stay with the rest of the team trying to hold off Finisher. He was sorry to hear that Aristar might not be getting his ship back after all, but he confessed that he was glad to see them again.

Vulcanix surprised them all by insisting he would help defend the Starstone before attempting his return. He claimed he had a debt he intended to repay, and would not run away from a fight.

The cavernous room had three entrances, which they'd designated east, west, and north. The room was piled high with debris that had already been removed from the tunnel. When Finisher arrived, they could use it for cover, but so could he. The workers were still pulling their giant drilling machine out of the tunnel. They’d only finished the excavation moments ago, and the repair device still needed to get rolled down inside.

“Remember,” Karadite told them. “The tunnel is our choke point. Give him what resistance we can from out here, then retreat inside. Do not attempt to hold your position, but make them work for every centimeter. We’ll take his Allips out through attrition, then once he’s exposed, go for the kill shot."

They all indicated their understanding.

“Everyone have your holy symbols?” Arden asked. They nodded again. In addition to their own group, Abadarcorp had managed to outfit another dozen of the security officers with the anti-possession amulets and ghost killer weapons, but Karadite hadn’t had time to make them the modified ear buds. Instead, Cheezy had set up a sound system around the entire site to hopefully drown out their chanting, but they hadn’t had a way to test it.

Each of them had assigned positions depending on which entrance it looked like Finisher would be coming through, allowing them to fire with maximal cover. They would work together in pairs, taking positions around the chamber. If anyone fell unconscious, it would be their partner’s job to drag them out of the fight.

Arden’s comm beeped urgently. “Arden here,” he answered.

“It’s Miklosh,” came the reply. “He just entered level four. We couldn’t stop him. He just flew past us. He took out the force shield generators with lightning. When we tried to pursue, he left some kind of invisible force behind him that kept us from following.”

“Understood,” Arden answered. “Were you able to take out any of the Allips?”

“Only a few,” Miklosh said. “He’ll be on you in just a couple of minutes. I pray you do better than we did.”

“Timing is going to be a problem,” Thohuko said as they absorbed this information. “The excavation team just broke through, and they’ll still need at least thirty minutes to get the patch kit in place.”

“I don’t think he’s going to give us that much,” Cheezy answered, hurrying over to the sound system. “Here comes the noise!” he shouted. The sound system began an eerie warbling that reverberated throughout the chamber.

In the distance, they heard a wailing as Finisher and his horde of Allips approached. All the entrances were sealed shut, but they had no illusions that that would stop him. 

There was a loud crash against the east entrance. "Get in your positions!" Karadite yelled. Everyone ducked behind cover and unholstered their weapons. Nevaz and one of the other Solarians, a kasatha from the repair team named Cimahon, finished their meditations and scrambled to their locations, each glowing faintly. 

"Repair team!" Vex shouted. "Into the tunnel!" The crashing against the east entrance became more urgent. The workers finished with the drill and started moving the repair device in, fear hastening their steps. Vex and two of the other researchers followed behind. 

The north entrance suddenly burst open. Finisher flew inside, a stream of shadows trailing behind him. Before they had time to reposition, his lightning struck two of the security personnel. They’d kept everyone far enough apart to avoid a chain effect, but the two were dead before they knew they were under attack.

Everyone else dove to take cover from the north entrance and began firing. Finisher became enraged as several Allips were destroyed. He flew around them to get to the tunnel, but found the way blocked by a force shield. He fired a lightning blast at it. The emitters sparked ominously, but the shield managed to hold.

A swarm of Allips converged on Emanon and Thohuko, but they’d expected this. She activated her personal force shield and crouched down, taking her out of the fight. With a word and a gesture, Thohuko created a cloud of tiny microbots and hurled it at the Allips to keep them distracted. Then he dove out of the way.

From his position 8 meters to their right, Arden, sweeping his hands in an arc over his head, gathered the elemental energies in the room. They crackled, taut and resisting, between his hands. Then he thrust his arms straight out, palms forward, yelling “vi pyramidem!” A wave of force swept over Emanon’s head. The entire swarm was hit at once. Two of the Allips were destroyed outright, while the rest were dazed. 

Emanon deactivated her shield, then jumped straight into the swarm. A booming burst of thunder erupted from her, killing most of the remaining Allips in a wave of destructive sound. Once she'd gotten clear, security officers firing from several meters to her left made quick work of any stragglers, exactly as they’d planned. The maneuver had eliminated more than a dozen of the enemy in the space of a few seconds. Together with the initial round of attacks, Finisher’s force had been reduced to less than a third of its original strength.

Finisher heard the thunder and turned around in time to witness so many of his Allips shriek out of existence. “How dare you!” he shouted. He flung lightning at Emanon, but her shield was already re-activated. The shield burned out in the attack, leaving her hurt and disoriented, but sparing her from Finisher’s full power. The electricity continued its arc, moving through the air until it reached Thohuko. Tendrils of lightning snaked through his body, killing him almost instantly.

Emanon was too dazed to realize what had happened, but Treskara and Karadite quickly scooped her up and ran toward the tunnel.

Finisher prepared to attack again, when a pair of brilliant flashes of light caught him full in his face. He cried out in rage as the twin attack from Nevaz and Cimahon temporarily robbed him of his sight.

Cheezy deactivated the force shield guarding the tunnel, then he and the remaining security forces ran through, Vulcanix bringing up the rear to avoid burning the others.

“Emanon,” Treskara cried. “You’ve done as much as you can. You have to go.”

“Wait,” she said. “Where’s Thohuko!? What happened to Thohuko?”

“He was very brave,” Karadite said. “Now get to the Starstone!”

Tears falling down her face, Emanon ran the remaining length of the tunnel. The workers were still seating the fragments inside the net, careful not to touch them.

“What’s going on up there?” one of the workers asked.

Emanon just shook her head and ran up to the stone, touching both pieces at once. A flash of light engulfed her and she vanished.

There were less than a dozen Allips remaining, but the defenders couldn’t hit them from the opposite side of the force shield. Finisher blinked several times as his sight returned. He saw the security force waiting for him on the other side of the shield and barked out a maniacal laugh. “Cowering in your hole, little mice?” he teased. “Never mind. It’s time to deal with that awful racket.”

The group looked at each other in fear, already knowing what he planned to do, but having no way to stop him. With an almost bored expression, Finisher began methodically destroying all of the speakers Cheezy had arranged, gradually bringing the surrounding noise down until the eerie warbling ceased entirely. “That’s so much better,” he said with a satisfied smile. “But maybe a little  _ too _ quiet." His lips turned up in an evil smile. "Sing for them!” he shouted.

The remaining Allips all began chanting at once. Even with the ear buds, the noise bled through, but the other members of the security forces lost their minds completely. Six of them, including Vulcanix and the monk, Shafaras, merely stood hypnotized, but others went mad and began firing indiscriminately - at walls, at allies, or themselves.

Two of the security forces fell from self-inflicted wounds. Karadite jumped in front of Arden just as a guard shot at him, but took the blast in her own chest and collapsed.

"Karadite! No!" Arden and Treskara each cried out in agony as she fell. But by her blank expression, they knew she was already gone.

Lili and Cheezy ran down the tunnel trying to escape the madness, while Nevaz rushed at the insane guards to try and disarm them. He managed to get three of their weapons away before the fourth shot him. Arden realized what had happened and dazed the last one. Then he took her weapon and ran to his friend. The disarmed guards merely laughed, uncomprehending.

“Ouch,” Nevaz said weakly.

“I can’t carry you,” Arden said frantically. “And I don’t have enough time to cast a cure spell on you before he comes through. Can you walk?”

Nevaz tried to get an arm under him and collapsed. “I’m afraid... you’ll have to manage... without me,” he said, grimacing with pain.

Treskara bent down to grab Arden’s arm. “Arden, the plan! Get down the tunnel. Slow Finisher while the repair team does their job.”

“Jian?” Nevaz asked, suddenly sounding confused. “I can’t... seem to get up... Is everything... alright?”

Treskara froze. She looked at Nevaz unable to speak, momentarily forgetting the situation around her. “Yes Nevaz,” she finally said. “Everything’s fine. You just... got tired. Go to sleep now.” She blinked her eyes rapidly as she and Arden helped each other up, tears threatening to blur her vision. They ran down the tunnel. Behind them, Nevaz smiled and closed his eyes.

Finisher’s next attack destroyed the shield. He landed at the tunnel entrance and roughly shoved the insane and hypnotized security personnel aside, who didn’t appear to notice. Behind him, four Allips descended on Vulcanix. The elemental dropped to his knees in pain while Finisher ignored the scene and kept going at a leisurely pace down the twisting passage.

Vulcanix suddenly roared and sent an inferno up around him, killing the monk and the remaining security personnel, as well as the Allips that had been attacking him. Then Vulcanix’s own flame went out, leaving behind a pile of ash that had once ruled trillions of its kind.

“It’s over, you know,” Finisher called out merrily. “I’ve still got power enough to deal with you.” He came around a bend and saw them. Treskara, Cheezy, and Lili all fired at once, while Arden tried using a spell of holding. Finisher resisted the holding spell, but the sound, heat, and cold attacks hit all at once, causing him to stagger back in surprise. “I seem to have lost more of my allies than I realized,” he said through gritted teeth. “But don’t you know never to start a fight you can’t finish?”

He sent out another lightning attack, catching Cheezy first, then Lili, then Arden, in a hideous chain of electricity. Their bodies fell to the floor, smoking and still. Treskara couldn’t even spare them a look as she ran further into the tunnel. Finisher continued walking after her, not hurrying in the least.

She reached the Starstone a few seconds later. “You’re out of time!” she yelled.

The group turned in alarm. “We’re still making the final connections!” one of them yelled. “We need another 3 minutes at least!”

Eyes wide in terror, Treskara shook her head. “I can’t hold him off on my own. Our weapons are finally hurting him, but I’m the only one left!”

Finisher rounded the final bend. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that. Step away from the Starstone if you wish to live.” Lightning danced between his fingers, ready to strike.

“Zhifae, don’t do this!” Vex begged, putting himself between Finisher and the Starstone. Behind him, a pair of techs put the final adhesive strips in place.

“Oh Vex,” Finisher said sadly. “Did you really think you’d  _ convince _ me to stop?” He shot out another lightning attack, not at Vex, but at the repair device. The vessel with the hot shard solution shattered, spilling the dissolved crystals on the tunnel floor. The lightning chained through the two workers, who fell down dead, merely for having been too close to Finisher’s actual target.

“Now colleagues,” Finisher said, addressing the three researchers who’d been overseeing the repair attempt. “Watch as I repair the stone with the same tool that caused it to crack.” From behind his back, he pulled out a short wand with a fork on one end.

“A harmonic resonator?” one of the researchers, a riphorian woman, asked, her curiosity momentarily overcoming her fear. “But that makes no sense. Sure you could break a crystal with that, but how can you possibly expect to repair one?”

Zhifae shrugged. “I confess I have no idea. But I’m following a prophecy, and this  _ will _ work.” He thrust out his chest as though performing for an audience. “The tool that broke the Starstone can also mend it. The one who can mend it may possess it. Six points of connection shall be severed. A seventh shall remain fast. The shell shall be opened and the power shall be grasped. Then shall the seeker shed mortality to walk among the gods as their equal.”

“You’re utterly insane!” Vex yelled. “Prophecy will tell you how to repair an ancient divine artifact?”

Treskara had heard enough. She raised her pistol and shot. The researchers took this as their cue and fired their own weapons. “You fools!” Finisher cried out in a mix of anger and pain. He reached out to attack, but suddenly cried out in fear. “What’s happening?” he wailed.

The remaining Allips raced out of him, each vanishing in a brilliant flash of light. A booming voice sounded behind him. “Zhifae Uluas,  _ I _ was the tool that broke the Starstone. The crack was not only physical, but temporal, and it was not by your doing, but by the Starstone working to keep its power from your hand.”

Emanon appeared, beautiful and terrible, wreathed in a fiery glow. Behind her walked all those who Finisher had killed in the battle, fully restored. Treskara saw Karadite and ran to her, full of joy.

Emanon waved a hand, and the two workers Finisher had killed suddenly drew in deep breaths, their bodies restored like the others. They both stood up and hurried away from the Starstone, bewildered smiles on their faces as they took in the scene with everyone else.

“No!” Finisher cried out in agony. “It was supposed to be  _ me _ !”

Emanon turned to Arden. “I seem to recall you wanted him put on trial?”

Arden nodded. “That’s true, I did, but after everything that’s happened…”

Emanon turned back to Finisher. “I have weighed the evidence against you, and found you guilty. As a goddess of law and good, I hereby condemn you for your crimes.” She turned back to Arden. “Satisfactory?”

Arden smiled. “Yes.”

Emanon turned back to Finisher. “No, wait!” he begged, then vanished in a cloud of dust.

Lili raced to Emanon’s side. “You did it! You survived the Trial of the Starstone back in your own time! But how? We saw the records.”

“I succeeded, yes,” she said. “But I was never heard from again, so the historians assumed I'd perished like so many others. I left the material plane and remained in a divine sleep until it was time to act. I listened and I learned, but did not interfere.

"But come quickly,” she said, changing the subject, “Where is Vulcanix? His people call for his return.”

Vulcanix came forward carefully. Everyone else pressed themselves to the sides of the tunnel as he passed. “Come Vulcanix,” Emanon said, taking his hands in her own. “Touch the Starstone pieces and return to your time. Remember what you have learned here, and do what you know you must.”

Vulcanix followed Emanon to the Starstone and vanished in a flash of light and sound. “What did you mean?” Thohuko asked. “What did he learn here? What does he have to do?”

Emanon smiled. “I’ve missed your curiosity, Thohuko. Have you never wondered who constructed the Burning Archipelago?”

Shocked gasps echoed throughout the tiny chamber. “The fire elementals!?” he said in amazement.

She nodded. “Not by themselves, but they did begin the construction, and they oversaw it for thousands of years until it was ready. They are far more remarkable than I think we give them credit for.”

Emanon let out a small sigh. She looked at the patch of ground where the shard solution had spilled. It was still sizzling from the strange caustic concoction. “I had really hoped I could remain a goddess,” she said. “But I suppose the prophecy must be fulfilled after all.”

She turned back to the Starstone, pulling away the repair assembly as though it were a bit of spider's web. Then she grasped both fragments of the stone itself, pushing the pieces together. For a moment, nothing happened. Then her hair suddenly stood straight out on end and her back arched painfully. She appeared to be screaming, but made no sound they could hear. Emanon’s fiery glow began to fade, while the Starstone’s glow became brighter. Light shot out from the fissure and slowly began to vanish, leaving no trace behind. Suddenly Emanon fainted, falling backwards into Thohuko’s waiting arms.

“Well hello there, handsome,” she whispered, then closed her eyes and fell asleep, still smiling up at him.

One of the researchers looked at an instrument display in front of her and whooped. “She did it!” A chorus of cheers went up throughout the tunnel. People laughed and hugged. A few wept from the sheer relief of it all. Absalom Station was saved.

*******

After making sure that Emanon really was just asleep, Nevaz and the others returned to the  _ Myriad _ for some much needed rest of their own. It was late in the afternoon by the time they all awoke. Thohuko sat next to Emanon and Lili in the room the women shared, looking for all the world like nothing more than three friends catching up. 

“I was worried you’d be out longer,” Lili said. “I mean, what’s the right amount of sleep for coming down from thousands of years of godhood?”

“Eh, 7 hours seems to be about right,” Emanon answered with a laugh.

“How long were you in your own time before you attempted the trials?” Thohuko asked her.

A far away look came to Emanon’s eyes as she considered the question. “A long time,” she answered. “I had almost two centuries to increase in power and ability before I decided to make the attempt. I’m afraid you were all a distant memory by the time I finally ascended. I had a lot of adventures over those years. I had a few loves. I even had a daughter, if you can believe it. But I kept my promise, Thohuko. I did think of you from time to time. And Iomedae helped make sure I didn’t forget about my quest.”

“How did she do that?” Lili asked. Thohuko nodded as though he’d been about to ask the same thing.

“Do you remember the prophecy?” Emanon began.

They frowned and shook their heads. “Oh, of course, you were both dead when Finisher shared it down in the cavern. Right. Well, it wasn’t  _ his  _ prophecy. He’d simply been given it by someone who hoped it would be misinterpreted badly enough to destroy the Starstone. But part of it goes, ‘Six points of connection shall be severed. A seventh shall remain fast.’

“The connections it talked about were the friendships I made in this time. You two, Arden, Karadite, Cheezy, and Nevaz were the six connections that were severed when I returned home. But Jian’chi was a follower of Iomedae, remember? Iomedae sent her spirit back through time with me. Hers was the connection that remained fast. Sometimes she was just an annoying voice in the back of my head, but she and I became close companions. And when I faced the Trial, she was my secret weapon.”

“How do you mean?” Thohuko asked.

“Each Trial is designed specifically to be the hardest challenge a mortal can face. It’s different for everyone. But the things that were hard for me, weren’t necessarily hard for Jian, and vice versa. If I allowed her, she could take control of my body, and even use her mystic abilities, which she honed over the years, just as I honed my own powers. What one of us couldn’t do, the other almost always could. I wouldn’t say the Trial was ever easy, but once we began, I knew we’d succeed. I was sure the record we’d seen in the Archive had to be wrong, and we proved it.”

Thohuko chucked. "Karadite would say you 'exploited a previously unknown vulnerability.' Well done, Emanon."

Emanon glowed at the praise. “Speaking of Jian," she said. "I have a message to pass on.”

“Is she still with you?” Lili asked.

“No,” Emanon said with a touch of regret. “As soon as I ascended, she returned to Iomedae. Though the Iomedae of thousands of years ago had only recently ascended herself, and wasn’t  _ entirely _ sure what to make of her. She didn’t even have her own worshippers yet. Fortunately, it did work out eventually. But if you’ll excuse me, now it’s time to keep a promise.”

Emanon went to Nevaz’s cabin first. He came to the door when she knocked. “Hello,” he said with a smile. “It’s good to see you awake again. I have so many questions for you!”

Emanon laughed, “Same old Nevaz. But come, I need to have a word with you and Treskara together first.”

Confusion broke out in his expression, but he followed. Treskara was seated in the common area when they found her. Emanon motioned for Nevaz to sit next to her, then she looked at them each in turn. “I have a message for both of you from Jian’chi.”

Nevaz gaped at her. “What? How?” Treskara looked puzzled too but didn’t say anything.

Emanon didn’t answer Nevaz. Instead she addressed Treskara. “Jian would have loved to know you, Treskara, and she hopes you will take joy in life wherever you can find it. Her life was a gift, and even though she left before she was ready, she leaves you her love, and is so happy to know that you’re living in her old room. Also, your left elbow will give out occasionally when you overtax it. She’d meant to get it dealt with, but you should take care of it before it causes you any real trouble.”

Treskara was puzzled. “I’d already found out about the elbow, but when could Jian have told you this?”

“Iomedae sent Jian back through time with me when I left. She helped me while I was there. Saved my life, in fact. The message I just gave you was as much to tell you what she wanted you to know as to prove that my words were true. She was pretty sure you’d have noticed the elbow issue. But seriously, don’t forget to take care of it.”

Treskara’s eyes were wide, but she nodded without saying anything else.

“What about me?” Nevaz asked, voice breaking with emotion.

“She loved you, Nevaz, but you already knew that. You were as close as two friends could be. Her message to you is not to let fear hold you back from being the great scholar she knew you to be. Take risks, publish controversial discoveries, and step out of Aristar’s shadow. And as for Treskara, treat her kindly. Not as a replacement for Jian, but as a friend in her own right. Jian thinks of Treskara as the daughter she never got to meet in life, and she asks you to care for her, not shut her away.”

Nevaz nodded slowly and looked at Treskara, as though really seeing her for the first time.

Emanon smiled at them. “And now my promise is fulfilled. If you’ll excuse me, the two of you should talk for a while.”

Treskara and Nevaz sat together quietly, lost in their own thoughts, possibly trying to decide what questions to ask the other. Emanon left them. She knew they’d have more questions for her too, but those could wait. For now, what they needed was each other.

In the meantime, it had been thousands of years since she’d eaten, and she could not  _ wait _ to find out where Thohuko was taking her for dinner. Of course, before that could happen, she’d have to let him know he’d be taking her somewhere. Minor details.

*******

The night crowd was just starting to show up at Nevis’s bar when Karadite came through the door. She noticed the Meerfiends poster was back on the wall, glaring menacingly once again. She’d never cared for it before, but seeing it here actually felt good, like coming home.

“Hello, Karadite,” Nevis called out from behind the bar. “You come to get your cat?”

“I did,” she said. “And to keep a promise.”

“Oh? How do you mean?” he asked.

Karadite looked him in the eye and gave him one of her rare smiles. “It’s done,” she told him.

Nevis stared, uncomprehending for a moment, then he broke into an expression of pure joy. “Anything you want is on me,” he said, hurrying over to her. “Tell me everything you can.”

Karadite nodded. “I’ll take a Thulian tea. And keep them coming. This is going to take a little while.”

*******


	17. Epilogue

## Checking in on Absalom Station’s Recovery, One Month After Starstone Attack.

**_Arden Finder_ **

**_Absalom Station Spin_ **

Aldus Korfman went home this morning. You'd be forgiven for thinking that sentence doesn't sound like news, but Aldus Korfman happens to be the final victim of last month's Starstone attack who was still undergoing treatment.

Korfman, a retired teacher who lived on level 2, was beloved in his community, often leading neighborhood beautification projects and known for growing medicinal herbs in a tiny indoor garden. When the attack happened, he was sitting in his bathroom working on a crossword puzzle. His wife Deirdre was in their bedroom talking with one of their children over a holo comm. He barely survived the implosion. Deirdre perished quickly.

Korfman's injuries, when rescuers finally reached him, were severe, and the prognosis for survivability was grim. He spent three days trapped under the rubble. He’s been told that if he'd been any race other than a dwarf, he would've died long before the rescuers found him. As it was, the next few days were desperate ones. He spent most of them unconscious, being worked on by healers and surgeons, all just trying to keep him alive.

As it is, Korfman is now more metal than flesh, having lost an arm and both legs, but as he'll tell anyone who gives him half a chance, his heart "is strong as steel, steady as stone."

Living so close to the Starstone, much of his former neighborhood has been wiped out. It'll be months before it's safe to even enter those levels without radiation protection. The loss is a painful one, especially for the station's dwarven residents, who made up over half the population on the bottom-most levels (5 and below).

The Syndicsguild has constructed new housing above the 20th level by clearing out old station facilities that were no longer in use, and residents almost universally praise them as a significant improvement over their previous dwellings. They're probably also talking about the fact that the homes are all rent free for the next 12 months while they deal with the expenses of replacing their lost possessions.

Meanwhile, many on the station tuned in with rapt attention to this week’s opening arguments at the trial of the attack's accused mastermind, former Councilor Jerrilyn Nanh of Apostae. Fortunately, her attempts to cast blame on the Veskarium and lead the Pact to war were unsuccessful, though that's small consolation to the many thousands whose loved ones perished in the attack and its aftermath.

For the rest of the population, life on the station has mostly returned to normal. As has been written about elsewhere but bears repeating, the Starstone repairs appear to have been entirely successful. The efforts of the Arcanamirium’s repair team are being lauded throughout the Pact Worlds, and in a particular irony, considering the former councilor’s attempt to foment a war, a vesk scholar by the name of Nevaz is receiving most of the credit for the success.

Following the repair, the Allips haven’t been seen anywhere aboard the station, much to everyone’s relief. And while residents still report the occasional disruption to some of the water and waste processing systems, whose physical infrastructure continues to undergo repair, no further power failures have been experienced.

The Golarian bard Emanon has resumed performing, to the delight of her many new fans. Her appearance, and its connection to the Starstone attack, remains as mysterious as ever, but crowds can’t seem to get enough of her amazing tales. As a gift to those whose homes were destroyed, she’s going to put on a free show tomorrow on level 28, to be held at a community center within one of the largest of the new housing complexes.

She and her new beau, a young lashunta named Thohuko, spent the last few days touring the complexes together in order to settle on a venue. Sunken Gardens, the chosen neighborhood, is home to many of the displaced dwarves of Absalom Station, and as such, Emanon has promised that audiences can expect several tales of the ancient dwarven kingdoms of Golarion.

As I get ready to leave his apartment, Aldus Korfman shows me a portrait of Deirdre that his children had hung up prominently in his new home. “But she shouldn’t get too comfortable on that wall,” he tells me. “She’s coming with me to see the elf tomorrow night.” He smiles a little sadly, looking forward to hearing tales of his ancestors, but obviously missing his wife. I return his smile and tell him I’ll see him there.

For all the residents of Absalom Station, it’s been a challenging month. We’ve experienced grief and loss that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. But in spite of everything, our fragile little thumbtack is still here, still carrying on. Like old Aldus Korfman, Absalom Station is finally getting back on its feet, confident that better days lie ahead.

* * *

Arden smiled as he sent off the little retrospective. Unlike most of his articles, this one had been specifically commissioned. It would appear first in the _Absalom Station Spin_ , one of the station’s own publications. Normally they’d give a piece like this to an in-house writer, but Arden had gained a bit of notoriety through his association with the events of the previous month, and they’d asked him to do it instead. His blog had certainly seen the increase in traffic. It still felt weird to be recognized, and it was happening a little more often lately.

As for the article itself, he still got a bit uncomfortable whenever he published misleading information, but in this case he supposed it was for the best. Councilor Nanh may not have been the actual mastermind of the attack, but it was certainly true that she'd made it possible. And while the repair team might not have actually fixed the stone, it was true that they, and Nevaz in particular, were the ones getting the credit.

As any spy knew, a good lie always contained a nugget of truth, and in this case, anyone who knew otherwise was keeping quiet. The official line was that Finisher was just a madman who'd figured out how to harness the Allips, and had been killed when they'd turned on him. Better that than for anyone to know the Starstone could be used to ascend mortals. That was definitely a secret worth keeping.

And as far as secrets, somehow Nevaz had figured out the truth about Golarion being trapped within the Starstone all on his own. Arden had been extremely fortunate that the vesk had confided in him before publishing. Preventing the Starstone from becoming a target again would require keeping the truth about Golarion from spreading. Luckily, Nevaz hadn't taken too much convincing, and in return for his silence, AbadarCorp had agreed to fund his future research. It would have been a little awkward to expect a Seeker of Lost Golarion to literally hide the knowledge of its location. And now that he had corporate sponsorship, Nevaz was free to go and do whatever struck his fancy.

Lili still hadn't gotten a chance to present her research at the Starfinder Society, but as Emanon's manager, it looked like she was leaving that life behind anyway.

As for Cheezy, Treskara, and Karadite, they were off exploring the Vast somewhere with Nevaz. Arden still couldn’t believe Karadite had finally left Absalom Station. He’d figured her for a station lifer. But he was happy to have had the chance to work with her.

They’d all been allowed to keep their weapons, which had surprised Arden, but the others all seemed to think it was only fair. They weren’t followers of Abadar, so he supposed it would be difficult for them to understand how unusual the gesture really was. He certainly hoped he never needed his own again, but it had enough sentimental value that he wasn’t going to sell it.

Emanon’s pistol had been lost somewhere back on ancient Golarion, but she claimed that the appeal of being able to shoot lightning was overrated, especially after seeing how Finisher had wielded it. And anyway, the magic she’d learned back in her own time had made her more powerful than Finisher ever was. She’d thrown a banquet for all of them in something she’d called a “magnificent mansion,” and Arden had found himself wondering if she still retained some of her divinity. He hoped Thohuko didn’t suffer any sort of inferiority complex, or his relationship with her would be extremely short-lived.

Arden’s comm began beeping at him. He saw Jeri was calling and answered. “Hello Jeri, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hello Arden,” she greeted. “Hope you’re ready to get your hands dirty. We’ve got a lead on that prophet who convinced Zhifae to go after the Starstone. Seems she left Absalom about a week ago and ended up on Verces.”

“Have we got a name?” Arden asked.

Jeri nodded. “She calls herself Rovuk Churnush, though we don’t know if that’s her real name or an alias.”

Arden frowned. “That’s an odd name. Any idea what language it’s associated with?”

Jeri sighed. “Yeah, this one’s a real charmer. Apparently it’s ancient orc, if you can believe it. It translates to ‘Chosen of Rovagug.’”

Arden’s spine tingled at her mention of the rough beast's name. “Okay, so what’s my cover?” he asked.

“You’re joining the celebrity gossip scene, Arden.” Her mouth turned up as she said this.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Arden exclaimed. “I’ve got a reputation as a serious journalist to think about!”

Jeri just shrugged. “Well, if you can find a ‘serious’ story to justify the excursion, I’m all ears, but you might at least want to hear the rest before you whine about it.”

“Oh? Why’s that?” he asked.

“You might like the company,” she replied. “You’d be covering Emanon of Golarion, the hottest one-woman show in the Pact right now, and your former associate, Karadite, tells me the  _ Myriad _ is available to provide transport.”

Arden tried and failed to hide his surprise. He paused a moment to get his composure back, then returned Jeri’s gaze. “Okay,” he said evenly. “I guess I could sign on for that.”

*******


End file.
